The Redwood Saga (Pokémon Fanfiction, Crossover)

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

Chapter 49: With A Hunger To Swallow The World

Lumiose City Center - Kalos Region

"Ledi Girl, Ledi Girl, slings her webs and saves the world! Undoes the damage, before our eyes! Beats bad guys of any size! Look out! Here comes the Ledi Giiirrrl!"

The crowd applauded the aspiring guitarist as he finished the latest verse of his superhero song. Not far away from him, a pair of seemingly normal teenagers were getting ice cream. The girl had black hair in pigtails, blue eyes with an Eousian slant to them, and pale skin tones. Her eyes were the only giveaway about her heritage, otherwise she seemed as much a native Kalosian as the boy beside her. For his part, he had blonde hair, blue eyes, and tanned pale skin. They were dressed as normally as every other teen, the only thing potentially odd about them was their Pokémon.

The boy had a shiny colored Liepard, while the girl was partnered with a seemingly regular Ledian. The Liepard gave the worrisome bug a smirk as he licked his own ice cream, the only dish the owner served that incorporated cheese in it. "What's wrong sugarcube?"

The Ledian shook her head. "I'm not sure…I don't sense Dark Moth like we did earlier. I don't like it, Plagg."

The Liepard yawned and took in their latest Trainers and the pureness of their emotions. "You worry too much. Surely after that last embarrassingly easy Battle he'll give up. I would. I mean really, how many times does a guy have to lose before he realizes that he's hopelessly outclassed?"

Just as the Ledian reluctantly agreed with this lifetime's partner, a wave of pure Shadow and evil swept over Kalos. The Ledian, Tikki, only had a few instants to react. The humans, Marinette and Adrien, were too absorbed with each other to notice the oncoming wave. Behind them, every citizen, from the guitarist to the ice cream seller doubled over suddenly, as Kalos, and the other regions that made up Europa, got to experience what a Shadow Infusion felt like. Despite their good vibes and superhero-encouraged mental fortitude, the citizenry of Lumiose City still fell to Monarch's enhanced power.

Immediately following the wave of Shadow, balls of Shadowy spores came streaking down from the Mediterra Mountains. Tikki knew what came next. She looked at Plagg. "We need to Burst! Now!"

The Liepard's ears flattened. "But they're both-"

Tikki shook her head. "No time! They're already transforming for Dark Moth! The destruction will start soon! Now!"

Marinette looked over at her partner, as she understood the bug's words. She was halfway through asking what was wrong when both Tikki and the Liepard next to her started glowing. Suddenly, Marinette felt the Burst Heart's power, and realized she was in her hero form. A bright red full body spandex suit with black spots covered her frame and a half-mask akin to both a biker's helmet and a Ledian's head, also red and black, somewhat hid her identity while protecting her skull. In this form, her pigtails became antennae, and Tikki's wings allowed her to fly, and use whatever moves she knew. As Ledi Girl registered what had happened, she turned slowly in horror to see Adrien's reaction, only to find Night Cat staring back at her in his usual similarly skin-tight black attire. His shock faded faster than hers, as fate affirmed that she was, in fact, the one for him. "That's twice I've fallen for you, Bugaboo."

Those seven words made Ledi Girl's face, the human part of it anyway, turn crimson. "Not now, Kittycat. Something is…" She turned suddenly as she felt her Ledi Sense go off, looking behind her as the guitarist from earlier grew to a gigantic size. A moment later, his body changed, fusing with that of his Pokémon. The Toxtricity fusion, not unlike Ledi Girl and Night Cat in nature, let out a screech that turned into electricity as it tore through the park area. The two heroes had already leapt out of the cone of its effect though, only to run straight into what could only be described as a giant ice cream kaiju, somehow fused with his ice typed Chocolluxe.

"Dark Moth figured out how to share his fusion abilities with those he controls…" Ledi Girl said, as the pair ascended up Lumiose Tower. All around them, giant fusions of supervillain-Pokémon hybrids were filling the skyline and tearing the city apart. Marinette understood then why Tikki had revealed her secret. If she'd taken the time to explain, Lumiose City, and everywhere else, would've been rubble by the time she used the Burst Heart, and repairing the damage would've been up to the government.

Night Cat stared quietly out at the destruction. Buildings could be fixed by Xerneas's power. Lives could not. "We're outmatched here, Milady. I think it's time we called in some help."

"Seems I got here just in time, then."

The two whirled, ready to attack the new baritone voice, only to realize it was the Champion. Connor Gladstone was more of a recluse than Alain, after being so publicly thrashed by the Unovan Champion, but he had appeared, more than once, to help the fledgling heroes when they were trapped in a river of Muk with no boat, to offer some timely assistance. Since their heroic Greninja left Kalos to rejoin his Trainer, he'd shown up more often, somehow always aware when things were turning too dire for them to handle themselves.

"Champion! Thank Arceus…" Ledi Girl said, visibly de-tensing in relief. "We…don't even know where to start, with this…there's so many of them."

"First, take a deep breath. Both of you." Connor said, crossing his arms. Once they did so, he continued. "You've faced hundreds of these creations before and won every time. The only difference now is that they're all here at once. But we prepared for this scenario. You've been training your parties up like I told you to, right?"

The pair nodded. Ledi Girl was less confident about her new partners than Night Cat was, but the Champion had a point when he'd demonstrated that relying just on Tikki and Plagg was not always going to be enough. A lesson he himself had learned the hard way. "Good." Connor said, nodding. "Then go and find Dark Moth. You can sense him better than I can. Leave cleaning up Kalos to me, and the Four. Dark Moth is your Battle, today."

"He's right, milady." Night Cat said, glaring at the mountains where the Shadow Wave had originated. "The only way we stop all of them and reverse the damage is by taking him out, this time. Permanently."

Ledi Girl's eyes widened. "Could you do that? Use Yveltal's power on a living person?"

Night Cat's masked eyes narrowed. "He already made me, remember? He's been getting weaker since he took that darkness in. It's still corroding him; I can feel it. This transforming everyone at once seems desperate, to me. He's running out of time." He clenched a fist, and it hummed with dark energy. "I'll end him before he hurts anyone else. He's gone too far, this time."

Night Cat, like most vigilantes, was a longtime fan of New Tork's own famous masked hero, the Midnight Marauder. In his day, the Crobat-themed vigilante had taken down and imprisoned a whole cast of criminal characters that rivaled his own conquests in their lunacy. The worst of these had been Blacefelon, an explosion happy insane clown gangster who, somehow, had managed to capture and train the Ultra Beast known as Blacephalon, and upon doing so, had gone on a legendary and explosive crime spree across New Tork. The Ultra Beast had possessed more power than even New Tork City's finest. The Midnight Marauder had successfully incarcerated the villain almost a hundred times over the course of their respective careers, and the madman had managed to break out of the prison, asylum, or supervillain holding facility he'd been sent to just as many times.

Then, as the story went, one day the Blacefelon went too far. In a deranged attempt to make the Marauder break emotionally, he bombed a gathering of rich people that Blacefelon had apparently noticed the Marauder seemed to either protect or appear around most often. While Night Cat didn't know who the Masked Marauder lost, it was clear to all that the lunatic had finally killed someone important to him. In reality, it had been many someones. Thomas Gladstone's entire family, parents included, had been caught in the blast that had been set off at one of the Gladstone's charity events. The people of means in New Tork had, for once, been trying to do good with their excess wealth, and in doing so had lost their lives. Blacefelon's mangled corpse was found the day after the bombing, and the Midnight Marauder never appeared again. The Beast Ball containing the explosive Ultra Beast had also been missing from the corpse.

Naturally, everyone knew, or rather guessed, at what had happened. Several movies had been made around those events, and the general consensus was that the Marauder broke his code of not taking life when Blacefelon finally killed someone who mattered to the vigilante personally. The villain had killed many families through his career, and once he broke his code of not killing, the people had turned on the Marauder, for his hypocrisy. It left a distasteful stain on an otherwise stellar crime fighting career, and Night Cat, as the next generation, was determined to not make the same mistake. He intended to learn from the Marauder and tried to embody what he'd been. While irritating, Dark Moth hadn't actually killed anyone yet, but in his latest attacks, the rumble from his usually Gigantamax-sized creations had broken many bones. The rampage now, was simply without restraint. "He won't hurt anyone ever again." Night Cat reaffirmed, after a long pause of taking in the carnage, and affirming that ending the madman was the only way to save more lives. His actions wouldn't reduce the number of killers in the world, but they would keep the lives of the citizens of Kalos from being endangered by Dark Moth ever again. If he had to be the one to take in the darkness that came with taking a life to achieve a safe future, he would. With that, he bounded off.

"Night Cat…" Ledi Girl started, but he was already off, bounding towards the mountains. Ledi Girl sighed.

Connor patted her shoulder, then. "You'll make the right choice, Ledi Girl. You always do. I trust your judgement. Now go catch up to him, he'll need you for this."

With that, her wings opened, and she took after her partner, thwipping one of her sticky String Shot threads to a nearby building to build her speed. The String Shot seemed to come from her wrists, but only when she brought her two middle fingers down over her palm.

"Alright lads…Mega Evolve." Connor said, turning to the chaos that was enveloping his region. His main ten Pokémon appeared from their balls then and those who could, achieved a state beyond evolution. Not many Trainers could manage multiple Mega Evolutions, but it was something he'd seen Alex do; thus, Connor had mastered it too, in time. "Take down the fusions one at a time, and quickly. I'll be right behind you to Purge them. Those of you who can, search the rubble for survivors. All right, go!" As one, they leapt, flew, or sprinted into action. Connor focused his body's energy then, building it up with emotion until it reached a limit, at which point he overwhelmed that limit, and achieved a new form. His fighting typing ascended to that of the Light, and the now golden-haired Champion followed Ardor, Gren, and Gar, as they were his best battlers and likely to take out whoever they faced first.

Ledi Girl caught up to Night Cat quickly, and together the pair glanced behind them, pausing on one of the roofs of Lumiose's outer buildings. In the distance, the ice cream kaiju went down, hard, making the entire city shake. Night Cat looked at his partner, who was still in the throes of emotional turmoil over realizing who Night Cat was. "If we don't hurry, not even Xerneas's power will be enough to repair this." Ledi Girl turned as he spoke. His hand moved to her cheek by instinct, and she turned a bright crimson again. "One way or another, this ends today. It won't matter that we know each other's identities if Dark Moth is out of the picture."

"You're right…" Ledi Girl finally said. "L-let's go. Before he runs and hides again."

"No need to worry about that, you worthless bug." Monarch said, as he descended from above them, seemingly just able to fly on his own power now. Something was different though. New. Dark Moth had never looked this dapper or had Malamar tentacles covering and extending from his head. "Today you and your infuriating feline's story ends before the power of Monarch! In failure! Shadow Cacophony!"

Monarch, as he was now apparently calling himself, flapped his shadowy wings then as they rose up from his back, and obscene screeches and noises filled the heads of the heroes. Ledi Girl was more affected, being part bug, but Night Cat had honed his mind with the Champion of Kalos for situations like this. "Black Oblivion…" He held out a clenched fist as he summoned Yveltal's power, and channeled that unspeakably dark aura into the shape of a sword. This time, it was a katana, and Night Cat smirked confidently.

The Champion's Greninja, Gren, was a master of what he called 'Iai Moves', moves so fast that only very powerful Pokémon had a hope of dodging or blocking them, and perhaps because of its species or by choice, Gren's slashing moves also took a katana shape. Both Gren and the Greninja that until recently had guarded Kalos had trained him in their ninjutsu arts. Connor had also instructed Night Cat on the basics of what he called the 'Tiger Style' of martial arts, which synergized perfectly with his fusion form.

For her part, Ledi Girl powered through the cacophony with a Supersonic radiating from her antennae and protecting her head. Following Night Cat's lead as he crouched and 'sheathed' his death sword by his waist, as he would if his dark katana had a scabbard, Ledi Girl summoned the power of Xerneas. Or started to, at least. Summoning the region's natural power to enhance her attack, defense, and speed took a second. Oddly enough, Monarch seemed willing to wait, as he just stared at them with a manic grin from ear to ear.

Not liking how confident he looked, Night Cat struck. Marinette and Tikki had the kind of bond that let them attack in perfect harmony. Adrien had a similar bond, but the difference lay in his Liepard, who had a condition for their unified attacks. He had to shout his move's names heroically, except in instances of stealth and sabotage. And of course, the power of said move depended entirely on what Adrien called his attacks. Naturally, the names Plagg liked most were straight out of an anime. Dark Clover was a favorite.

"Night Cloaked…Iai Slash!" Night Cat struck with the speed he'd honed during his training only to blink, as he found four tentacles from Monarch's head had expanded and caught the katana. Somehow, they were generating a psychic energy barrier around the blade's sharp edge, holding it in place while avoiding decay.

As Night Cat tried to brute force the move through, Monarch chuckled with a hint of mania as he quite easily stopped the fusion of man and 'mon. That was when Ledi Girl finally powered up.

"Geomancy!" She raised her arms, and if past was prologue would then follow her immediate three-stat-six-stage power up with a Moonblast, which usually staggered Monarch's creations, if not outright breaking his hold on them. Today though, was his day. Finally.

As Ledi Girl readied the Moonblast, Monarch suddenly yanked Night Cat forward, unbalancing him and then used his head tentacles to swing him in an entire circle before slamming him into his partner. Ledi Girl lost her breath as her kittycat was sent slamming into her stomach, and her move faded too. Then, still floating above them, Monarch cackled, not even hiding his madness and just how much he enjoyed destroying his nemeses. "It's all over now, Ledi Girl." He snapped his fingers. "Topsy Turvy!"

As Malum's signature move took effect on the pair, Monarch devolved into an uninterrupted fit of cackling laughter. Night Cat showed the effects of his move first, stumbling, as his sword suddenly felt weaker, heavier, and his body felt slower. Then, roughly seventy five percent of his stamina was drained into the blade. Normally, that much of his stamina could raise his attack power quite a bit. Now, it just brought his attack strength back to even.

He was doing better than Ledi Girl, who was now negative six stages in speed, attack power, and defense. Realizing her plight, she struggled to slowly reach for another Pokéball, and called out one of her other partners to help her. "Kaalki!" Her Zebstrika appeared at her command. "Tikki, Kaalki, Unify!" Though she technically became a blend of Ledian, Zebstrika, and a human, Ledi Girl's outfit was all that physically changed, as she traded black spots for black stripes, over her usual red. Electricity sparked over her limbs as Kaalki's speed counteracted the debuff she'd taken.

Monarch narrowed his eyes and moved to stop her, but Night Cat had a similar idea, albeit one that…expanded the scope of Ledi Girl's lead. His entire team came out at once. Alongside Plagg, who manifested as a regular colored Liepard from the dark katana in his Trainer's hand, were his shiny colored Noivern, his Torterra, his Litten-turned-Incineroar, his Infernape, and his loyal Boltund. "Sass, Wayzz, Roarr, Xuppu, Barkk! Unify your attacks!"

As he intoned each of their names and made certain signs with his hands, they started to glow with elemental aura, and manifested their respective strongest attacks. Plagg created a prism of dark energy, and his team focused their attacks on that. Monarch smirked as the now white colored fused moves, manifesting as a beam of white energy, arced towards him. But even Malum urged him to not let that hit their fused form. Thus, Monarch Teleported with a bamf, and chuckled. "I wish I'd unlocked these Psychic powers years ago! I would've beaten both of you countless times!"

As Night Cat realized he needed Monarch to sit still, a pair of timely String Shots thwipped around Monarch's fine attire, binding him and his wings in place as he reappeared. The second thwip bound his head tentacles. As he Teleported, Ledi Girl did too, thanks to Kaalki's speed and Tikki's ability to sense his Shadow, she easily kept up with Monarch, and kept him bound. Like a Venomoth in a small room, he Teleported around relentlessly, apparently not realizing there was in fact a limit to his uses of that ability. Unlike some psychics, he hadn't successfully extended the move's power by ingesting a PP Max, either.

As he panted hard and found he couldn't bamf anymore, Night Cat struck. "Once more! Unity Beam!" All six of his partners attacked again and this time, the focused combo move struck Monarch, who in the last moments closed his eyes and accepted his loss. Both of Dark Moth's Pokémon were unconscious as the dust from the hit faded and before he could so much as sit up, Ledi Girl had him in her sticky String Shot again.

Night Cat stomped towards him, only to be stopped by his love. His anger faded as their eyes met. Now disarmed, the two superheroes approached their longtime adversary. "No more games…no more last-minute escapes…right here, right now, your reign of terror ends, Dark Moth!"

The still-dazed man sneered at him. "I…am…Monarch!" He slumped then, exhausted. Night Cat clenched a fist, ready to punch the man who'd made the last couple years of living in Lumiose City a stressful nightmare, never knowing when his power would show up to turn someone into a monster. His fist unclenched as Ledi Girl grabbed it and without further preamble, Night Cat de-masked the man. The pair stared in shock. Ledi Girl knew him as Gabriel Agreste, an eccentric billionaire that had filled the technological vacuum Lysander's departure created, and the father of the love of her life. Night Cat fell to his knees before his own father as he instinctively tried to deny the reality in front of him, but his vision wouldn't let him look away. His team gathered around him as the Jennies arrived on the scene.

Arborstone Castle - Albion Region

While Arthur had taken his father's throne and dealt with the man who seemed to be in charge of what was left of the castle, Cynthia, still aided by Jess, Rick, and Drake, descended to the lower levels. As she only had her Glaceon, her Porygon Z, and the black Rayquaza, who had returned to its strangely designed ancient Pokéball on hand, they were a welcome aid. Rick and Drake took the lead through the dungeon, as they encountered Shadow infused Pokémon. Gallahad knew how to Purge now thanks to Arthur's brief but instructive lesson and the three Champion tier Trainers were more than enough for the solitary wandering Shadow Pokémon they came across.

The first Pokémon they came across from her belt, was Cynthia's Togekiss. Jess, Rick, and Drake just stared in horror at what the Shadow Infusion had wrought. If there was one creature that should never be infused with such darkness, it was a Togekiss. The constant state of blind rage had him writhing in a dark corner in constant pain thanks to the nature of his species. The women rushed over to him, but Gallahad was faster. "Your suffering ends now." He said, solemnly. "Purge!" He crossed his arms, extended them into swords, and hit the Togekiss with the move point blank. The Shadow burned away, and Jess had a Max Revive ready the moment the angelic fairy turned white again.

As he regained consciousness, he looked at his Trainer, and struggled towards her lap. Cynthia ran a hand through his feathers. "It's alright. You're safe, now. We'll find the others, too. Rest." She pulled out a Luxury Ball then, and the Togekiss booped it with his snoot, entering it willingly. The ball dinged shut immediately, and said, "Occupant's hearth has been updated." A newer, useful feature of modern balls let Trainers switch their Pokémon to a new one at will, which had, in conjunction with Bill's teleportation system able to recall Pokémon by their Trainer's ID number to their Trainer's Boxes, significantly reduced the amount of stolen Pokémon in the world, and saved them from having to search for Cynthia's old balls.

One by one, they recovered her Milotic, Roserade, and Spiritomb. Of her Lucario, there was no sign, and finally, upon reaching the bottom of the castle and finding it opening up into a large, natural underground cavern, they found her Garchomp, and what she was guarding down here in the dark.

"Garchomp…" Cynthia murmured, as she saw the state of her friend. Malnutrition and weeks of constantly pushing her species' natural aggressive qualities to their limit had reduced her to a mad, chomping menace, her eyes were bloodshot and enraged and she was foaming at the mouth, bound by a massive chain around her chafed neck. As she sensed prey approaching her, she did not pause. The rattle of metal was the only warning before the incredibly fast Garchomp attacked. Even weighed down by the chains, while infused with Shadow, she was faster than ever, in a limited area. Exactly how Morgana had wanted her.

"Goliath!" Rick shouted, summoning his own Garchomp who was massive in size not solely because of his power, but because he was just naturally tall. The two land sharks locked limbs and heads as they struggled against each other. Strong as Goliath was, Cynthia's Garchomp had battle experience comparable to Leon's Charizard. Goliath was content to hold the lock, to give Gallahad time for Purge, but the Shadow Garchomp was physically unable to stop fighting. She guided their claws to one side, crashing them into the ground and then hit Goliath in his stomach with her hard skull.

He lost his breath, and then his draconic eyes widened as he felt the force of the hit knock him into the air despite his size, and send him hurtling into the nearest cavern wall, cratering it as he collided with the stone. With Goliath out of range, the Shadow Garchomp turned on the rest of them, just in time to take a Purge to the face from Gallahad.

Thinking it was over, the Gallade lowered his guard, only to Teleport out of the way of the Shadow Chomp she viciously tore apart the empty air with in the space he'd just occupied. "Purge didn't work…not good!" He shouted, as he barely outmaneuvered the draconic jet with Teleport. Panicked, Rick recalled the Gallade just in time to dodge a shadowy Dragon Claw. Unfortunately, the enraged land shark's predatory eyes followed the beam taking her prey to its source, where she found yet more prey.

"I can hold her!" A new voice came from behind Cynthia's Garchomp. A Psychic move enveloped her, and the female voice sounded again. "Run!"

Seemingly catching a glance of their rescuer, Jess ran towards her, as the others ran away. She Teleported over beside their timely rescuer. The Gardevoir, young, female, and naturally pretty stared at the human in shock. "You need to leave, or you'll be trapped with me!"

Jess smirked. "No, my dear, we're both leaving. Maintain the Psychic, and come with me. Delphi! Help her." Her Delphox appeared too, and as the three of them ran, the Shadow Garchomp tried to break free of the Psychic, only to be bound by another layer of psychic power as Delphi used the same move.

As they continued to run after the other group towards the cavern's exit to the castle, the Gardevoir projected her voice again. "So what do we do once we're out of range of Psychic's effectiveness?"

Delphi and Jess shared a look and spoke the same word. "Range?"

At that moment, a furious roar echoed through the underground behind them, and once more they heard the ominous sound of a Garchomp in flight. Normally they were all but silent, but when rushing, their rough skin caused a slight whistle to their movements in the air. The Gardevoir threw up a Barrier as the Shadow Garchomp streaked towards them, and at that moment, with her iconic jaws inches from them, a massive wave of Light energy suddenly burned through the area. Only Gwen, the Gardevoir, saw it purify the Shadow corruption of their attacker before everything turned white.

The amount of power Arthur acquired was kept hidden and used sparingly for good reason. But in Albion, it seemed that the Light understood it was desperately needed, and the young Gallade was able to draw forth a massive explosion of revitalizing energy. As it pulsed over the city, not everything immediately changed to become green and shiny again. The buildings were still decayed, or destroyed in the fighting, the cobbles were still cracked, but the people gathered by the castle, the first to be caught in the wave, got the most of its effects.

The sick were healed, the blind were given sight and the cripples among the populace, what few managed to survive in such conditions, found their bodies restored. Moreover, the minds of the populace though 'simple' by some standards were understandably dumbfounded as they were also set free of Morgana's lingering magic, and rightly called these events a miracle.

All of Albion, and even Aurora, up to Galar's border at least, also benefited from the pulse of Light, as it cleansed any and all lingering Shadows. The Shadow Marsh became just a normal, if ghost-inhabited swamp. The region's Lycanrocs, while still prone to biting humans, became a little less feral as their minds were freed as well. Even on Knothole Island, where Geralt had been busy dealing with a swarm of enraged Lycanroc trying to overrun the decent people living there, they felt the Light's blessing, and what remained of that pack of stone wolves had, in the wake of the fading Light, retreated into the woods. The Ranger didn't have to wonder at the source of the Light, he knew his cousin was involved somehow, probably. He sheathed Srebro and Stahl, his Doublade, and began the long trek back to the mainland.

As the Light faded, Cynthia ran over to her partner and gave her what looked like a blue Max Revive. The Garchomp's eyes shot open as soon as she swallowed it, and she let out a tired groan, resting in Cynthia's lap as the exhaustion brought her back into unconsciousness. Jess led the others out when it was clear that the Sinnoh Champion needed a minute with her first partner. As the humans discussed what to do next, Gwen floated off into the castle, almost on instinct. She didn't know where she was going, but she kept heading upwards, and eventually, found the main level of the building.

She was disappointed, as she'd imagined the upper parts of the castle to be beautiful, but in reality, her own little space was far more pleasing than this rotting mass of stone and wood. Her head shot up then, as she heard something flying around her, and muted psychic voices.

"It's definitely her."

"It could be any Gardevoir, and we don't know what Morgana did to her. Be patient."

"No. They need a little nudge…"

Gwen tilted her head, and in the dim light of the castle caught the faint outline of an invisible Pokémon. Then she dropped that invisibility. Gwen just stared, mouth agape. In her little sanctuary, one of the pictures had this very Pokémon seemingly empowering the Heroes of old Albion. "The lake fairy…" She said quietly.

Nimue giggled. "You're not far off. I am a Mesprit. Nimue. I lived here, once. Tell me Gwen, what drew you here? Instinct, perhaps?"

"How do you know my…" She paused, as she processed the Mesprit's words. "Instinct? I…you know, I think it did…it's odd, like something…called me here. That light from earlier, it felt…" The giant blue eyes stared up at Nimue. "Was that you?"

She giggled again, and did a flip in the air. To say she'd waited a long time for this moment was an understatement. "Oh no, not me." When Gwen looked even more confused, the Mesprit guided her sight, pointing with one of her tails to the top of the stairs that led to the throne room.

It was at that moment that Arthur, still fully armored in his Mind Armor, covered in the grime of war, and now visibly smoking, stumbled out of the throne room and leaned on the railing by the staircase as he caught his breath. He recalled the Mind Armor back into his heart piece, and coughed as he recovered from the massive outpouring of power. The second invisible shape moved towards him, and Gwen watched it, only just making out where it was. Merlin appeared then, beside Arthur. "What happened? That was no normal pulse of Light."

Arthur coughed again, then stood up straight, as he answered his mentor. He didn't notice Gwen or Nimue, or the widening of the Gardevoir's eyes as she recognized the dreamily handsome Gallade with the curled hair spikes from her Future Sight. Seeing the male that, until this point she'd been wholly convinced was just a made-up fantasy created by her loneliness and pent up lust, was a lot to process. She felt her face turning hot for reasons she would never verbalize, and she looked down, burying her thoughts and memories of previous actions deep. She could tell Nimue was psychic, and powerful, and couldn't chance an entity like her reading her mind right now.

"...and then the giant of Light crossed his arms like this, and hit me with a Move that…that's called Spacium Beam. That's when the Light pulse went off." Arthur frowned, looking down as he tried to remember how he knew what the move's name was. The giant hadn't mentioned it, and yet he was sure that was its name.

At that moment, two things happened at once. Arthur, looking down as he pondered, noticed a Gardevoir at the foot of the stairs, with Nimue. Behind him, Lancelus came down from what he had learned was Morgana's bedroom. After a brief encounter with what looked like a ghostly Chatot, the bird had flown off through an open window, leaving Lancelus alone in the chamber to ransack it, and learn far more about Morgana's personal tastes than he ever wanted to know. He too noticed the Gardevoir, much faster than Arthur did, but the fact that his friend was literally smoking took his immediate attention. Though as he spoke to Arthur, the Gallade seemed unable to hear him.

It was then that Lancelus noticed the pair had locked eyes, and he was left standing there, awkwardly, as Arthur stepped down the staircase. Lancelus made to follow, but a tail from the Uxie called Merlin stopped him. Merlin shook his head silently, and the pair simply watched what was unfolding below. For her part, Nimue was excitedly vibing in the air again behind the pair grinning widely as she did her psychic somersaults.

As Arthur stopped before her, still in his Mega Form, he summoned all of his knowledge gathered in his brief existence relating to and concerning the wooing of the opposite sex. While Alex's experience constituted a large part of this knowledge, Leo had also weighed in surprisingly hard by pointing out how tropes in anime sometimes mirrored real life, and Arthur had studied the sources he cited. It was this culmination of 'knowledge' that made him stand up straight and tower over her slightly, look at her eyes as he spoke to her, smirk, and say, "Hello there."

Lancelus blinked, as he noticed Merlin was no longer beside him. Gwen seemed to choke on her own words and turned a deeper shade of red as her brain refused to project, and her Pokéspeech caught in her throat. Behind them, in one of the far corners of the lower room, Lancelus spied the two mythical psychic types. Nimue was trying, hard, not to break down into laughter, and Merlin was begrudgingly handing her a rather large, juicy berry.

As Gwen struggled to communicate anything, Arthur continued, not letting the pause grow awkward. "Pardon me, but…" He raised a hand towards her face then, and lightly booped her forehead with his pointy 'fingers'. "Huh. Real. That's a first…" He stood back then out of her personal space, just leaving her staring with a mix of embarrassment and confusion as he kept talking. "I'm Arthur. What's your name?"

Gwen blinked but found she could speak again after the boop. She coughed once, and then projected her words without issue as she regained her composure. "Gwenivere. But I go by Gwen, usually."

"I've seen your face before." Arthur stated with sudden, subtle intensity. "When I use Future Sight. Every single time. It's your face that dominates my vision…and then whatever I'm trying to see appears afterwards."

Gwen's eyes just widened, and her face shifted back to red. She didn't lose her cool again, though. "I h-had a similar…umm…experience. Your, uh, face. And then a vision. I didn't think you were real…"

"Same." Arthur said, nodding. "I thought it was what I imagined the perfect female to look like. At first. The more I saw it though, the more I realized there were subtle imperfections an imagined vision just wouldn't have. I left it to the future, to guide me to you. I was hoping you might end up being real. So just who are you, Gwen?"

Gwen almost mentioned his 'imperfections' comment, but then realized she'd been too enamored to even try to notice his own. Even in reality, it was hard to see anything imperfect about the Mega Gallade before her, but the young Gardevoir was blinded at that moment in ways she did not yet understand. It was about this time that cheering could be heard from outside the castle. Genuine, lively cheers, too, not the weak groan of a beleaguered populace.

As the clamor of celebration rose right outside the castle, Arthur guided Gwen out to the garden, which had become a barren, flat expanse of dirt, expired mulch, cracked stone, and a few old, long dead trees that still stood upright, despite not being alive. She told him what she could do in terms of Future Sight and what she liked doing, he did the same, explaining how his Sacred Sword worked and describing the various battles he'd had with his more memorable opponents. The two mythical Pokémon seemed satisfied with the outcome as the pair strolled through the dead garden but were too focused on each other to even notice their bleak surroundings. Satisfied that they seemed to like each other, Nimue and Merlin joined the human's merrymaking outside.

Nobody noticed that Lancelus had been having a moment of his own, upon seeing Gwen. But it was already clear who she preferred. The future itself had seemingly all but guaranteed their union, and that, more than anything else, made Lancelus kill those new feelings in his heart. Arthur was also his friend, and a friend was all he vowed to ever let Gwen be to him. He knew, or at least hoped, he'd find another Gardevoir in time.

Ymir's Wahlom - Norstad Region

As Arthur reclaimed his kingdom and Kalos's latest generation of defenders did their duty exceptionally well, Alex had flown on Shruikan to the relatively close region of Norstad. They took the sea route the ancient Norstad invaders of Galar had once used, although they flew instead of surfing. This time when they approached the region's mountainous edges, there was no wind wall, no storm, and barely even a few clouds. It was, Alex noted, as they gave Valaskjalf a wide berth, an absurdly nice day in Norstad. They had been having a lot of those lately, and Alex guessed that a certain young Xerneas and its new parent had something to do with the vibrant landscape.

They flew over the area the locals had evidently, and appropriately started calling 'Alduin's Fall', the massive crater where Alex had trapped the ancient dragon, so Arthur could deliver his death blow. As he was reminded of the ancient dragon, his eyes narrowed. A foul pattern filled his vision, and for reasons he couldn't verbalize, he had a sudden urge to go visit the wyrm's grave. Shruikan agreed to take him to that place considered sacred by dragon types. As Alex technically shared their power, he assumed it would be fine, and his Trainer had great instincts thanks to his psychic powers. Shruikan had learned to trust them.

Within minutes thanks to Shruikan's speed, they arrived at the Dovah Graad, and thanks to Alduin's size, both Alex and Shruikan saw immediately that the wyrm's bones were missing. There was no sign of them being dragged off by the locals, or feathers from Articuno. Indeed, it was like the ashy skeleton had just completely vanished.

"Where do you think his bones are?" Shruikan rumbled, just as concerned as Alex was over this discovery.

"I think that his bones disappearing and Morgana achieving her goals are not disconnected events…we need to find this Ymir, and learn this Light Move capable of stopping the Successor. If it can stop him, it can stop whatever Alduin has become. Probably."

Seeing his logic as sound, the pair set off again then, for the eastern side of Norstad, an area they had not yet been to, but Shruikan had a vague understanding of geographically. With the storms gone, he was able to fly high enough to see the general area they'd been pointed to. Ütgarde rose from the middle of the eastern side of Norstad, impossible to miss thanks to its size and the fact that it was the only mountain for miles around. It seemed inhabited, though Alex sensed no sentients, or Pokémon, which was odd. A mountain that size usually had at least one. He filed its suspiciousness under things to investigate later, as Shruikan matched Ütgarde's peak in height, and then headed north.

As they arrived at Ymir's Well, as it was known in Common, they found it similarly abandoned. Given how the locals typically reacted to a black Salamence, Alex recalled Shruikan, before looking around. While there were signs of habitation, they were ancient, and given how high up this place was, the snow had not melted away, although it had been replaced with natural snow and not the Everstorm's Shadow-tainted snowflakes.

As Alex called out, heard no response, and then readied his mind for a brief sweep of the area, he heard footsteps. Clad in heavy, slightly rusted iron armor on his head, hands, and feet, a local of Norstad wearing standard leather armor on his torso with an iron pauldron on his right shoulder and bearing a banded iron shield on his left arm approached him. His helmet was not unlike Alex's own in design, but the main difference lay in the quality of its crafting. Rust and general wear covered the warrior's simple but reinforced attire as he stopped a suitable distance from Alex and spoke in the tongue of dragons. "You won't find anyone here, stranger. Ymir is long gone."

Alex raised an eyebrow at the man, unable to make out more of his features thanks to the helmet, he could see pale white skin and a respectable brown beard poking out from it. "Do you know what happened to Ymir, Warrior?"

The man shrugged his burly shoulders, and indeed the more Alex looked, the more he realized they were roughly the same height. His muscles seemed much more defined, though. "The legends say Ymir contacted the Source of All Living Matter. The Well used to give wisdom and insight, for a price. Now, it's just water." As he answered Alex, he asked a question of his own. "You, who rides a Black Salamence…you are a Pokémon Trainer, are you not? From the other Regions?"

Alex stepped closer, nodding. "I'm from Unova, to the west. I've actually visited Norstad before, though I never came this far east."

The man smiled to himself under his helmet. "Dovah do Wer…finally. I have long sought you, Slayer of Alduin. He lifted his shield then, revealing a belt of ten freshly made Pokéballs around his waist. "I challenge you! Face us in glorious Battle!"

Only because he was pressed on time, Alex psychically examined the man's team, and nodded to himself. "I don't have time for a full Battle…but I can give you a one on one. Kalagon." He psychically chucked the Gible's ball, and the baby land shark yawned, then chomped the empty air excitedly.

The iron clad man eyed the Gible, and seemed disappointed. "Could…could you use the Salamence instead?"

Alex chuckled. "Face me with your own first form Dragon Type. If you impress us…then someday, on my word as Dragonslayer, you and I will have a proper Battle. Ten on Ten, no Move restrictions, and the use of as many power ups, enhancements, or special Moves as you like. Basically…in accordance with the rules of the World Tournament."

While disappointed, the man had already seen Shruikan, and understood that, at their current level, even his ace wouldn't last more than a second against a dragon like that. It made some sense as, if the stories were accurate, that very Salamence had engaged the World Eater in aerial combat and lived. "Very well, I will hold you to that. For this, we can go one on one. No substitutions, and no Move limits. In accordance with your…World Tournament." He could sense his own Garchomp's desire to stomp the Gible, since it was also male, but his Trainer chose his own bitey dragon baby instead. He thumbed the button, realized it was still miniaturized, squeezed it to embiggen it, and then his Tyrunt finally appeared, nostrils flaring as he looked around, took in his surroundings, and then locked eyes with Kalagon.

Kalagon's thoughts of food vanished as something instinctual went off in his baby shark brain upon meeting the other male dragon's gaze. His tiny arms spread out to the side, and he crouched slightly. Behind him, Alex smirked. He could sense Shruikan smirking as well. "Reminds me of a certain Bagon, and my Charmeleon."

Shruikan's ball shuddered, as he snorted in response. When Alex didn't go first, the as yet nameless Trainer took the initiative. "Dragon Claw."

As the Tyrunt lowered his head and charged Kalagon, Alex countered. "Sand Tomb!" Kalagon's tiny arms rose, and a whirlwind of sand rose around the Tyrunt, stopping the much higher-level Pokémon in his tracks, as the super effective move battered him. "Now follow it with Bulldoze!" While he couldn't quake the earth just yet, Kalagon had learned enough to shape smaller amounts of it in battle. Twin lines of jutting rocks spiraled towards the trapped Tyrunt.

"Jump out of it." Nodding, the Tyrunt did so, smashing through the sand tornado's wall with ease, and dissipating it. The Bulldoze attack lost steam, as it missed its mark. "Now Dragon Claw."

"Dodge with Dig!" Alex called, and Kalagon responded immediately, as digging was something he enjoyed, especially in combat. He chomped his way through the earth in a pattern that made the experienced Tyrunt's head swivel, as his apex predator's hearing and rock typing helped him follow the noises Kalagon was making beneath the earth. When the baby ground shark leapt for his attack, the Tyrunt was waiting, and his powerful leg slashed Kalagon critically across his chest.

Alex caught him, as he went sailing back, and sighed. Sometimes, critical hits decided the match, especially at low levels. "You did well, little one. Eat. Sleep. Get stronger. We'll do better next time." Kalagon nodded, and let unconsciousness take him. Alex recalled him, and poked the top of his ball, activating the touch screen Armeniaca was apparently testing, until it delivered a healing spray to the sleeping Gible from his stash. He nodded, satisfied. That was faster than fishing through his bag for a potion. It also showed him Kalagon's wound, and how it had healed, along with other indicators about his health.

Across from him, the Tyrunt was getting victory scritches under his chin, and his tail spasmed as his Trainer hit the right spot. "So." Alex said, approaching the pair and stopping a suitable distance away. "I didn't expect to find anyone here…well, except Ymir."

The man chuckled. "I thought you were joking. Do you really not know the legend?" Alex shrugged, and the bearded man continued. His Tyrunt began sniffing around, as the humans chatted. "Ymir was a figure from thousands of years ago, who made a deal with the Source of All Living Matter, and became one with this Well, and its knowledge. The price was his life. After that, the Jhötunns appeared from the water's depths, and moved to inhabit Ütgarde. They were renowned as unmatched armor and weapon smiths for centuries thanks to the power of their Thu'um." The man's tone shifted, then. "They are all gone, now. The Everstorm seems to have buried everything from the old stories." He gestured to the snow-covered stone ruins around them. "This is all that remains."

Alex looked around and frowned. "Then where is this Well? I don't even see a depression here that could've once been one."

The man smirked under his helmet. "That is what I have come to find. The legends also spoke of three guardian sages just above the well, that should still be intact. It seems our goals are aligned, foreigner. Let us search together."

Alex nodded and held out his hand. "You can call me Alex."

The man grasped his arm, and shook it, smiling as he said, "Get searching, Alex." He pushed past him then, moving his larger frame aside with no trouble as he looked around the courtyard for a switch or a lever. It was usually a lever, but sometimes the ancient Nords liked hiding less obvious circular switches.

Alex watched the man for a moment, then got to work. He noticed the Tyrantrum digging at a wall that made up part of the central stone pillar around which the ancient roof had been built. Despite its advanced age, most of the roof was still intact. "Find something?" The smaller dino dragon nodded, and Alex glanced at the wall, then shoved the hidden door that was part of it into the earth with his bending. The bar of wood that had been sealing it shut was all that was left on the ground, and a tunnel led deeper inside.

"Not bad." The man said, patting a dragonbone pauldron from which his cape was hanging as he passed by Alex, crouched, and with a bow and arrow that Alex hadn't seen earlier knocked and ready, began scooting through the tunnel in his crouching position. "Stay behind me, Norstad ruins can be…a lot."

Eventually, they came to a series of five-pointed stone pillars carved from the rock of the cavern they'd entered. Three passable recreations of human faces adorned three of said pillars, while the others were blank, and seemingly decorative. The topmost face had a Y symbol on its forehead, in the same style of rune as the glyph he'd recovered. To Alex's left of the main head was a head with a M, and to Alex's right, the head had a rune that resembled a C.

In between all three heads was a square block with the dragon tongue's equivalent of an A, and at the bottom of said block was a faded golden emblem, the same emblem on his Guild Seal. As the pair approached, the runes on each head and on the A between them pulsed with golden Light. They became animated with a facsimile of life soon after, as Head Y spoke. "The Prophecy is fulfilled. The Light Wielder has come."

Head M spoke next. Their eyes now burned gold, and were far from lifeless stone, but they did not have pupils and didn't seem to focus anywhere in particular. "You follow the footsteps of Galar's first High King."

Head C spoke after his contemporary. "The Successor has awakened. You were right to come here. He has used the bones of the World Eater to spark conflict between your nation and your rivals, while he searches for his lost Pokémon."

Head Y spoke again, and it seemed they spoke in a set order, but shared the same thoughts. "You must use the Move we teach you, in the name of Life and Justice. With it, you will bring low the Shadow, and end this threat."

Alex bowed to them, and spoke in the dragon tongue, as they'd been speaking Common. "You have my word; I will use this Move for good. Or try to, anyway."

As one, the three heads seemed to sigh as they said, "Good enough…" The area went white then, and not unlike how Percy had done when he'd implanted the entirety of the dragon's language into his memory, Alex felt three consciousnesses brush his mind, and share their knowledge in a waterfall of information in the form of lived experience. Most of it was a blur. Multiple Legendary Pokémon doing battle with eleven figures cloaked in Shadow. The vision of whoever had witnessed this legendary moment focused on the main figure, the leader of the other eleven. His skin was healthy and alive, his hair was greasy, long, pure black and unwashed, but he had the same black flowing robes in the past that he'd created again in the present.

He launched an orb of condensed Shadow at the main hero of this scene, Alex guessed, as he was literally burning with Light like Connor did when he got serious. A massive shield shaped wolf Pokémon leapt in front of the attack, smashing through it with a combination of fighting and Light energy. Alex recognized it as Zamazenta. Zacian appeared next, out of nowhere, and moving faster than regular human eyes could follow. The sword wolf cut into the Successor. Then, the vision slowed, things became far clearer, and Alex took in the figure who was, apparently, the first of Galar's High Kings, the one who, if he recalled his Galarian history, united their islands again for the first time since humanity's fall.

He was classically handsome, with an impressive jaw, a full, black/brown beard, and a head of naturally wavy, soft similarly colored hair that hung to his shoulders. He had no crown, but his armor was full heavy plate, and colored gold and yellow. Only his head was unarmored, and it seemed his helmet had come off earlier in the fighting.

"It's over, Cassius!" The man shouted in a commanding baritone. Alex felt the power in his voice from the perspective of this onlooker. It shook not just the air, but his very mind, and he wondered if that was what his own voice did, when he got irritated enough. "I have the Alpha behind me. Give up."

The Successor, Cassius, apparently, spat in the air. "You underestimate my power…"

The physically large man who would become king raised his right arm vertically and crossed it with his horizontally placed left arm. "Don't try it…"

Cassius began charging his power as he simultaneously yelled. Shadow swirled around his feet, and then flared up into a cowl of energy not at all unlike the one the future Galarian King had around him. He held up the staff that would one day become Morgana's. Beams of humming concentrated dark matter extended from either side, but were focused in such a way that if they contacted regular matter, the results would cut the regular matter with the explosive force of matter and antimatter mixing together. It made his strikes seem wild, barely controlled when they hit something due to the sheer explosive force that occurred when matter and anti-matter collided. The fact that it did not simply tear his arms off with that kind of force was a testament to his strength.

For his part, the Hero of Albion was also charging, albeit quieter, focusing his mind as his forearms built with Light energy. Alex used his own eyes then, and found his psychic sight still worked. He watched the hero's bodily energy network, and nodded to himself as he saw what the man was doing, and how.

Then, suddenly, the Successor launched forward, and the king rocked in place as a beam of burning, focused Light energy moved around the Successor's body in a quick circle. His head, arms, and legs separated instantly from his torso, though tendrils of Shadow kept them from falling away, it was clear being completely dismembered had at least slowed him.

The Hero of Albion raised a hand then, and behind the Successor, the landscape exploded in a devastating circle as well, slightly delayed thanks to how far in the air they were. Alex made a note that the beam also eradicated what was behind the target. With his power, the Hero King held the Successor in place, and the tendrils of Shadow still binding him faded in his Light.

"You were the one who was Chosen, Cassius…you were supposed to bring the Alpha's Light to this world…not drown it in Shadow."

The head sneered at him as the other limbs fell limp. "I am…what all of you…made me! Does that…infuriate you, Uncle!?"

The bearded Hero sighed. "No, son of my sister…it just makes me disappointed." He shook his head as the Successor's eyes went blank, and that expression of disappointment was the last thing his living mind saw. Then, just as suddenly as it started, Alex was back at the well, beside the man who had yet to give his name.

"Are you well, Alex?" The man asked. "Your eyes went as if dead for a moment there."

Alex nodded. "Yea…I just…Yea. I'm…I have what I came for."

Head M spoke as his sentence finished. "Then go. Face your destiny in the Mediterra Mountains. What the Betrayer seeks is below them."

Head C spoke next. "If he finds his whole team, he will be as hard to stop as he was in the past. May fortune smile on you, Light Wielder."

"I still have questions, and you need to be gone before I ask them." The armored local stated plainly.

"Then fare well until we next meet…stranger." The man's eyes widened as he finally realized he hadn't given his name, but Alex was already outside the chamber and on Shruikan, then the pair shot into the sky. They'd taken enough time. As they headed for the boundary of Kalos and Germania, Shruikan mega evolved. His form was still similar to other Mega Salamence, but his sharp wings now had hardened scales on their edges that formed dangerous looking spikes, and his facial spikes were more pronounced. His skull had ridges on it now not at all unlike a Bagon's and he also seemed quite a bit faster.

One by one, Alex mega evolved his team in their balls before letting them float behind him in the air, as he was fully expecting to fly into a war zone. Atop a Mega Salamence, the trip took mere minutes, and what he found was a fully manned border, and an entire legion of Astartes below in Germania, standing at attention in their purple power armor. Even from this height, he saw how their leader stood out. Among the ant sized figures of his men, he was a much larger speck, meaning up close he would be a giant.

As Shruikan arced up over the cloudless battlefield, Alex gestured, and sent his balls across the Scale's lines. They'd know what to do. If the Astartes hadn't noticed Shruikan before, they did now, and as Terra, Hydrus, and his other partners who could manipulate the ground and rock landed, bunkers of stone rose around the readied Scales, and a cheer went up from them, as they took a defensive stance in the sturdy bunkers.

Alex let Shruikan hover ominously over the lines, in their center. Then, a Latios shot up into the air to meet them. "Alex! I'm glad you were able to get here. We'll need you, and Arthur. The thing that attacked us was almost pure Shadow."

"That was Alduin. I'm sorry you lost one of your apprentices. Oh, and... Arthur isn't here." He said, flatly, staring down the far-off titan leading, arguably, the most elite fighting force on the planet. "They have made no aggressive moves?"

"Not…yet…" He frowned, and then tensed as he saw the Astartes shifting ranks. Like a perfect machine, their ranks parted to allow the two Predator class tanks to move up in firing range. They aimed their barrels at the newly raised stone defenses, but no shots rang out.

"Relax." Alex said, watching their leader closely. "They're just responding to our own reinforcement. Get everyone ready. Quietly raise your Pokémon's Stat Stages as many times as you can. Oh, and remember, their bullets explode. Make sure everyone is aware of that."

Alex held up a hand then, as a blue-limned folded white cloth zipped into his hand from within their bunker. Lux became a pole, and once it was attached, Shruikan began flying through the air, as they signaled for a parley, as the Imperium called it. Eventually, after several minutes, Shruikan flapped in place, and Alex just let the flag hang. Five minutes later, two similarly blank white flags rose from the tops of the Predator tanks.

Alex rolled his up, Lux returned to being a sword, and Shruikan brought him down into Germania. As they descended, their vision went black, and a large pair of golden eyes appeared before them, as Tao shared some timely wisdom. "You recall the weapon you defeated Pravus with. A Burst Heart. I once hid twenty such artifacts deep in Koria's northern mountains. In their time occupying that region, the Imperium of Man found that cache, and the Imperator has given one to each of his sons. All but Horus, who was too psychically powerful to use one without breaking it. Stay on your guard around them."

Alex thanked Tao as his eyes vanished and reality returned to normal. He found a ledge Shruikan could perch on above the massive mountain's slope, and then leapt off his back, floating down to the ground as the Mega Salamence landed. Shruikan snarled at the weapons trained on him, and his toothy maw sparked with electricity. Both tanks had him in their sights, while the majority of the Astartes' weapons were trained on Alex.

The ground shuddered, as the Prime Archon of these giant purple super soldiers in gold trim descended from his orating platform, to tower over the leader of the primitive masses to the west face to face. Alex had known they were large, but seeing a 'human' literally twice as tall as him was still unsettling. Especially when he and his 'sons' were so heavily armed. "So, this is the newest Dragon Emperor. You're far more powerful than the last one, but he was just a King as I recall."

"The Empire fractured pretty significantly near its end." Alex said. "Mistakes were made, but they will not be made twice. You are Fulgrim, yes? One of the Imperator's own sons?"

"I am." The man puffed out his chest then and spread his arms slightly so Alex could see every aspect of his masterfully forged armor. "Am I the first of my brothers to meet you, Dragon Emperor?"

"You are." Alex said, and Fulgrim's brows pushed together slightly. He wasn't lying, which meant he had not yet met Horus, despite Horus's apparent capture by primitives hiding on Luna. Apparently, they were not all as unified under the Dragon as their spies had reported. "So, neighbor," Alex said, as the silent pause grew awkward, "Is there a particular reason you have an armored Legion of Thunder Warriors pointed at my border?"

"Why yes, there is." Fulgrim said, leaning down as he tried to loom over Alex. "We were informed of an imminent attack, led by you personally, in an attempt to free Germania. Like you freed Koria. You will find the people of this fine Region far more loyal than the elemental savages in Eous."

Alex raised one eyebrow, while the other one furrowed. "I have no idea what you're talking about with regard to Koria. I just happened to be in the Region when the locals rose up against the tyranny the Fire Nation subjected them to. I have no intention of attacking Germania. By all accounts, its people are loyal, and far better treated than the people of Koria were. It's almost like when you beat, lobotomize, and oppress people, they fight back."

Fulgrim waved a hand, looking every bit the pompous aristocrat that he was, but Alex kept his calm. "A likely story. Exactly what one would expect to hear from someone wishing to downplay their involvement." Fulgrim countered.

"You can check for yourself, Phoenician. I'm sure your spies had cameras all over Koria. I can even give you the date I arrived there. I have nothing to hide. I've been preparing for Festivus, as have my Scales. There are many that are none too happy about being called here in a time of celebration for our recent and hard-won peace. Why would I start another war now? What could I possibly gain?" While Fulgrim could tell the mortal's voice was filled with power, it did not sway him as it did the weak minded. Despite that lack of influence, he could tell that this Dragon Emperor spoke truly, and his communicator buzzed in his ear, as his servitors confirmed that video records of his recent actions as a world leader aligned with his words. None of their cameras in Koria had caught him helping the rebels, and his actions upon returning home aligned with his alibi.

"You…are not lying." Fulgrim finally said. "It seems I have been misinformed…" His perfectly proportioned face shifted into a frown. He would not abide being someone else's pawn.

At that moment, several things happened nearly simultaneously. Alduin, who had dropped Proditor and Morgana at their destination, finally arrived back on the border, to find it covered with more of his bones made into armor. He sensed his horns in particular, coming not from the Scale's lines, but the ongoing parley in Imperium territory. He let out a screeching roar that echoed through the massive mountains, one Shruikan visibly responded to with a sudden turn of his head and tensing of his muscles. The World Eater very much recognized the pair that had led him to his death.

A Dragon Pulse shot out from Shruikan into the sky and met a Shadow Pulse from Alduin as his almost incorporeal ashy form flew over the Astartes and through the explosive collision of moves. Fulgrim glared at Alex. "Is this trickery yours?"

"No. That's the World Eater. Alduin, or rather, what's left of him. He's been reanimated by a Shadow user. He will be after me, and my Salamence. We killed him."

Fulgrim nodded. If he was impressed, it didn't show. Once more, the Dragon Emperor spoke truth to him, and after Proditor's actions, trying to use the underlying tension between nations to his benefit, he had no qualms about taking out the betrayer's pet. "Recall your partner, and we shall immolate this foul shade!"

Alex held up a finger and spoke to Hikoki through his telepathy. "You're going to see a light show. Do not attack the Imperium unless you start getting hit with Bolter rounds." Verbally, he said, "Try not to hit us. We'll lead him over your complex, in the air, east of here so your Bolter rounds don't accidentally hit my people. I don't know how well exploding shells are going to do against a creature made of ash, though."

Fulgrim just smirked, slightly. "Then we will not use bullets." He gestured to the Predator tanks, which now had some sort of additional hardware loaded onto the main barrel, and the two barrels on either side of the tanks. "Are you sure you wish to fly in our field of fire? I would hate to start a war by accidentally taking out your people's strongest Trainer."

"You're more than ready for a war, or at least a skirmish." Alex said, smirking back at him. "Don't worry. Your weapons won't hit us. Shruikan!" The black scaled dragon flew over, and Alex leapt into the air, landing on his neck, where he usually rode now that he was reasonably sized again.

The two shot into the air just in time for Alduin's second pass over the Imperator's Children. Alex guided him upwards as once more the massive dragon's ashy jaws snapped after them. Shruikan smirked as he sensed what Alex was going to do. His Trainer spun around where he sat, still hooked onto his shoulders, and in the tongue of the land of ice and snow shouted at the revived World Eater. "You know, after losing all that girth, we thought you'd be faster, this time!"

The inky black sockets that were where the dragon's eyes should've been began burning with purple fire. "Duziir wox…" Suddenly, his jaws stretched unnaturally forward, a thing they could do now that he was not limited by flesh. "Die…" came the hissed word. Shruikan struggled to outpace the jaws looming above and below him as they coalesced from the ash cloud of a dragon, but he had them, this time. Suddenly, a loud hum sounded in their ears, and as he'd turned back around in his seat so Shruikan could keep his pace, Alex turned his head, and saw a twin pair of bright blue lines of what he wrongly assumed was plasma burn straight through the reforming shape of Alduin. Two more single lascannon beams followed seconds later, and the massive dragon shrieked with rage as the intensely focused light beams burned away pieces of the bones he had thus far reclaimed to nothing.

The ash cloud swirled as Alduin turned to take care of the Predator tanks below, but Alex and Shruikan did the same. "Plasma Bomb!" Alex shouted, once they got enough speed, and Shruikan arced downwards, gaining enough speed to put him over Alduin's back before he used his newest move. The condensed blue plasma ball fell from his sparking jaws, and then expanded as it exploded. When the ash Salamence reformed, he was significantly smaller.

Six more consecutive lascannon shots pierced the World Eater, and his form became less of a Salamence, and more like an incoherent swirling cloud. As Shruikan readied another Plasma Bomb, the cloud shifted direction, not for them or the Astartes, but for the Scales lining the border. Shruikan followed after the ash cloud, but now found it faster than him. It dodged his attack easily, as it flowed out of its path, and Alex panicked slightly as he realized he couldn't hit it with anyone on his team, and his new move would likely be easily dodged. He needed a way to pin the cloud of ash dragon down in one place.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a pair of String Shots somehow brimming with Light energy surrounded the cloud of ash. "Now, Cat!"

"Night Cloaked…Avidya Slash!"

Alex and Shruikan blinked, as a blur of black and green shot past them. Then, a fusion of what seemed like a teenage girl and a Ledian floated up beside them. Alex recognized Kalos's newest superheroes, as the fusion of Liepard and teenage boy unleashed a series of attacks on the String Shot cocoon, faster than normal eyes could follow. Alex noted his strike pattern, and, the type of blade he was using.

"Hiii there, uh, Dragon Emperor…sir." Ledi started, awkwardly, before starting to talk rather quickly. "We just beat Hawk Mo- I mean Monarch, and then sensed what was going on over here so we thought we would, y'know, come lend a hand and-" The stream of babble paused, as Alex held up a hand.

"Someone followed you." He said, staring at the sliced up cocoon. The slashed String Shots fell away, and Night Cat formed a small circle of apparently tangible darkness in mid air, using it to leap away from the now swirling mass that was Alduin. He landed on another conjured flat darkness circle by Ledi Girl and Alex with masterful grace.

Below Alduin was a new figure, and as they were now out of the effective range of the Predator tank's lascannons, effectively in the uninhabited no-man's land of mountainside between Kalos and Germania, the newest arrival to the scene chose now to appear, and enact his orders from his mother. From what Alex could see, he had pure white hair completely devoid of pigment, was wearing all black clothing, and around his neck and shoulders, he had a rather ragged looking crimson cape.

A grin that Alex could only describe as sadistic crossed the younger looking man's face as he looked up at the trio of heroes. He had to be either a teenager, or in his early twenties, but despite his youth his eyes had severe bags under them, and his lips were dry, cracked, and scarred. His skin was also quite pale, suggesting a lack of regular sunlight. Then, Alex saw his right arm, and realized why he was so pale. His right hand and lower forearm had a long, dark black and purple scar that was pulsing with Shadow energy in time with the still-rotating ash cloud above him that had now taken on an appearance like a spiral, though it seemed to be shrinking.

Then, Alex noticed a hole in the man's palm, and that Alduin's essence was being sucked into it, ash and all. Before Alex or the two heroes could react, yet another figure arrived on the scene, one who'd patiently been waiting for his quarry to appear, and thanks to his mastery over earthbending, he had been able to rapidly move towards said quarry once he finally slithered out of hiding.

As the hole in the pale man's palm sucked up the last of Alduin, he held his hand to his chest, then doubled over, groaning in pain. A green blur shot past the floating trio of Trainers as they just watched. The teens were in awe, but Alex had his brows furrowed, unsure if this new arrival was friend or foe. He had just seemingly stopped Alduin, after all. Then, the green blur stopped in front of the man, and a voice rang out as he shouted his move for some reason. "Land's…SMAAAASH!"

The pale man seemed to still be in pain, but grinned, as the sudden metal-clad boot of the man in green impacted his face with an aura-fueled roundhouse kick.

The pale man went soaring towards the slope of the nearest mountain, and Alex urged Shruikan towards the now floating green figure. His face was covered in a visible green aura that had taken on the shape of what he recognized as the head of Zygarde's fifty percent form. Underneath the aura he was wearing a green hood that covered the top part of his face, and had two small vertical points where his eyebrows likely were. Five 'tails' also composed of emerald aura flared out behind him from his shoulders, as he stared at the crater he'd roundhouse smashed his opponent into. Upon getting closer, Alex noted various Zygarde cells across his outfit, seemingly strategically placed for effective coverage on knees, elbows, joints, and other points of energy that lined up with the pools of energy in his body. A red, green, and blue Zygarde core, fused together in this state, covered his back and connected to the cells with faint bright green lines of energy across his green jumpsuit covered body. Whoever this was, he knew what he was doing, it seemed.

"Hello there…" Alex said, as Shruikan hovered before the green man. Ledi Girl and Night Cat had followed after him, and the stranger looked at each of them, before answering Alex.

"Hi…I uh…sorry I interrupted your Battle, but I've been after that criminal for a while. I knew he was in league with Dark Moth, so I followed Ledi Girl and Night Cat. I love your work by the way, guys. Big fan." He smiled at them through his cowl, and Night Cat gave him a thumbs up, while Ledi Girl smiled shyly.

Alex's brow furrowed further. "Are you…with the Ranger Force? Or the Scales?"

It was then that Alex saw his mouth form an O shape, as the man under the aura mask recognized who he was speaking to. "Oh…wow! You're the newest Dragon Emperor, aren't you? The one who reunited the Original Dragon! I saw the videos!"

Alex had time to nod, but before they could continue speaking, or exchange names, the hole the pale man had been kicked into exploded in a torrent of Shadow that reached up to the sky. A deep baritone thundered through the peaks around them, echoing as it did. "Sahlag Humun…the likes of you...cannot hope to control Me! Zu'u los Dinok!"

The pale man's body reappeared then, but Alex could tell just from a glance which mind was controlling it, now. It seemed the kid had bitten off more than he could handle. Then, his right arm began to swell, and expand, turning black and scaly as the nature of his powers was used and abused by the World Eater, who saw the opportunity for a new body and took it. The rest of the man's body began shifting as well then, stretching, growing in a macabre display as Alduin reworked the flesh, bone, and muscles to suit his preferences.

Shadow burned around his shifting frame as he grew bigger, even moreso than he had been when he'd had his own body. Alduin pushed the mutated human's limits, and found them nonexistent, much to his delight. The human face became a draconic one, the flesh of the man became obsidian and scaly, and wings sprouted from his back, expanding upwards and outwards as they grew and grew. Something pinkish and gray was vomited from the World Eater's mouth as he expanded his new body further. The men grimaced in disgust as they realized it was brain matter, and Ledi Girl gagged, overwhelmed by the sight momentarily as she tried not to hurl.

The as yet unnamed man in green looked both sad, and furious. "Shigaraki…you fool…" He knew the man's story, and who his mother was, and this display only confirmed his fears; that she would use him to empower one of her pawns for one of her schemes, and he would end up dying in the process. Now, he was gone forever, and beyond saving. He'd hoped his kick would forcibly expel the ancient dragon, but all it had seemed to do was distract Shigaraki and let Alduin take control. His aura began burning with an audible hum as the rage at both Shigaraki's uncaring parent and his murderer surged. His cloth cowl flared off his face, and he seemed to be rage-smiling as he stared at Alduin, who by that point, was as large as one of the Mediterra range's mountains, and had a wingspan the length of two of them.

The air shook, as the massive and now fully revivified dragon roared at the quartet. "Alright people…" Alex said, as he internally mulled over who to use for this. "Looks like it's a Raid Battle. You know how those work?" The three nodded. Alex nodded as well. "Alright then…take him down!" He blinked, as he felt Astrum psychically shove his ball into his hand, and seeing his logic, and the support Astrum had from his brothers, Alex brought him out.

In the space of less than a second, the Togekiss assuaged his fears about taking him out in a potential war zone. "I can do this!" Astrum said, zipping forward as he began shining with fairy energy.

"Yes, yes you can." Alex said, just proud of him, at that moment. Shruikan backed up as Ledi Girl manifested Tikki, who in this form was a shiny Ledian with gold and black coloring rather than red, and Night Cat summoned his regular colored Liepard, who moved through the air on tiny dark energy discs effortlessly. Alex blinked, as he felt his very rarely used Pixie Plate respond to his Togekiss. It shot out of his bag, levitated by Astrum's Psychic, where he affixed it to his chest, and shone with fairy energy.

Having never mega evolved a fairy type since awakening his dragon blood, Alex didn't know what to expect next, but he let his emotions reach out to his partner regardless as the battle kicked off. The Dazzling Gleam Astrum led off with, empowered by the Plate, made the reconstituted dragon shriek with pain, as the flying and fairy type had zipped towards his eyes before letting it off. Tikki hammered his jaw with Light infused Comet Punches, while Plagg had landed on his neck, and sprinted down his back towards his wings. In his opinion, they needed a few holes. The man in green stayed in place, seemingly charging up his own attack, or perhaps waiting for the right moment to use it.

Alduin began to counter, as he tried to shake off Plagg, brushed the Ledian away like one might swat at a mosquito, and then tried to Crunch down on Astrum. Thankfully, the young fairy type had just recently finished his stat training, which like most of his brothers had focused on enhancing his speed and special attack power. Astrum skillfully dodged and kept pace with the foul Shadow entity, as the lines of energy from his Trainer connected with the energy radiating from his newly claimed Pixie Plate.

The area grew even brighter, as Astrum ascended, and while Alex felt a slight discomfort, it was more from the energy Astrum was shining with, than the energy they'd used to propel him to his Mega Form. The egg-like shape of his body morphed, becoming more akin to a Lugia's or one of the Eon Duo in appearance. His tiny tail feathers became another pair of wings, and yet another pair of wings sprouted from under his main two, giving him a total of six.

His right head spike extended, curling into a blue tip, while the other did the same, albeit with a red curled tip. The main head spike also became larger, and more noticeably feathery. The tips of each wing had also gained red and blue coloring, in alternating patterns on each wing. His right side had two blue tipped wings and one red, while the left side had the reverse. His golden feathers were also much more obvious.

The darkness of the oncoming night was beaten back, as Astrum finished shifting forms, and the Infinity Energy symbol flashed over his forehead. With a sharp cry that oddly only evoked emotions of calm and peace from Alex, and every human watching the brilliant pink and gold aerial display, a facsimile of a full moon appeared above the Mega Togekiss.

Alduin, who had been turning his head to unload Shadowflame on the three enemies punching holes in his massive wings, turned back towards Astrum, as the flying egg fairy readied arguably the most dangerous move to dragonkind. He tried to flap backwards, only to find his size too cumbersome. His mace-like tail swiped at the much smaller enemies he was facing, but they dodged easily, and kept going for his wings. Together, the Liepard and the Ledian were unstoppable balls of damage that kept punching through the thick membrane. Shadow energy filled the holes, and made Alduin rise above Astrum, who adjusted his aim with the dragon's rising form.

Then, having launched himself higher into the air than all of them, the figure cowled in green aura came back down, and landed directly in the center of the now massive joint that was responsible for the black Salamence's wing function. His wings went stiff, and immediately, gravity caused him to plummet.

Tikki, Plagg, and their green ally flew back towards Alex and their Trainers as Alduin landed on all fours, and shook the earth for miles around. He was still a calamity sized threat, and while on the Germanian side of the mountains, Alex still didn't want him rampaging and causing damage. "Now, Astrum!" He shouted up to the Mega Togekiss, whose Moonblast was charged and ready by that point.

In Pokéspeech, Astrum called out to his 'victim' in the Pokémon equivalent of a calming baritone. "Rest now, ancient one! Your long suffering ends here." The Moonblast fired with a loud hum, sending a bright pink beam of energy straight for him, hitting Alduin directly in his chest.

His furious Words echoed across the area as he roared in pain. "Zu'u fen ni…vognun! I will not disappear!" The Shadow energy binding his essence to the mortal plane surged, and Astrum frowned, as he felt nauseous, but continued with the Moonblast, finding he had the power, in this form, to keep it going indefinitely.

Tikki floated up besides Astrum then, and with four tiny fists on his feathery back, infused his ongoing Moonblast, which was burning through all the power he had for the move, with Light. Alduin tried moving out of the way of the massive fairy beam, but couldn't. His massive maw opened to fire a Shadow Beam in response, but the Light was too overpowering, to the point that he couldn't form his attack in the presence of so much imbued fairy energy. So, started forming a ball of anti-matter instead despite the damage he was taking, and that was when Astrum poured in all the power he had for his Moonblasts into his current one at once.

"We will remember you, World Eater…" Astrum spoke to him quietly, calmly, as the Moonblast began to tear through his scales and flesh. "Now return to your rest!" The moon above Astrum exploded in a blinding white ball of fairy energy and the beam pushed through his reconstituted chest, cutting into his body almost perfectly down his center. Alduin's roar echoed a final time across the Mediterra Mountains as his corpse fell into two separate halves and then began fading away into Shadow particles. The World Eater was finally, permanently, destroyed.

Thoroughly spent, but satisfied, Astrum let the Infinity Energy fade, and his form reverted to normal. His flight pattern wobbled, as the expenditure of so much energy at once left him unbalanced. Alex recalled him into his Luxury Ball before he started falling. "You did great, Astrum. Really. Take a good rest."

The two superheroes gave each other a fist bump as Alex recalled his partner, but the man in green did not return to him. He was burying something on the ground, near where Alduin was decaying. "Night Cat, Ledi Girl, it was a pleasure working with you two. If you ever need help Connor can't provide, feel free to call on the Scales."

The two shared a look, and then Night Cat spoke, somewhat eagerly. He'd had a traumatic day, but that didn't keep him from asking after what he wanted. "Would we…be able to join them?"

Alex blinked. "Do…do you want to?"

Ledi Girl nodded, as she spoke as well. "They seem to know how to use Light energy and…that would help me and Tikki become stronger. Like now for example, Hawk Moth's creations caused a lot of damage…I don't know if I'll have enough power to repair it all."

Having seen her downright miraculous repair powers in action, and always eager to avoid another bill, Alex smirked. "I could…give you a boost, if you like. Just this once, so we make sure all the Regions affected return to normal." Ledi Girl smiled, and nodded, and Alex chuckled. "Go ahead, do your thing."

Her tongue poked out from her mouth then, as she concentrated, and an orb of Light and fairy energy began swirling between her palms as she summoned Xerneas's power. Again, he felt discomfort but didn't let that stop him. He held a hand over the forming, uncondensed sphere, and added his power to it. "Holy…" He heard her say, as the sphere expanded, rapidly, and she had to lift it above her head.

"Just tell me when." Alex said, eyes still closed, palm still raised as he channeled the energy of the universe into her ability.

Once she had enough, she wrapped the massive sphere in her String Shot, swung it around and then up into the air, where it exploded in a pulse of Light that miraculously began repairing the various property damage caused by Monarch's efforts. More than that though, injuries were healed, several recently dead humans returned to life, completely fine, and from Kalos to Italia, the people just watched in awe as their cities returned to the way they were before everyone had turned massive and gained superpowers.

Ledi Girl slumped, as the move faded, and Night Cat caught her. Alex didn't need his psychic powers to see the way they looked at each other. "I'll let you two be, I uh…think this is the part where you change back, no? Come by the Scale's outpost in Kalos sometime, and we can hammer out the specifics of ahh…legitimizing you, as official protectors of the Region."

As the pair made their way back to Lumiose, Alex hopped on Shruikan, and floated down next to the man in green, who was mumbling at the makeshift grave. "...and I'm sorry. I wasn't…good enough to save you." He rose from his knees as Alex and his own black Salamence landed. The two locked eyes, and now that his aura was gone and his hood was down, Alex realized he was just a kid, not all that much older than Night Cat, but still younger than himself, probably.

"Friend of yours?" Alex said, gesturing at the grave.

The man shook his head. "No…not really. Just someone I wanted to save from this fate…but couldn't."

Alex nodded solemnly. "We can't save everyone. But taking that down," He said as he gestured to Alduin's disappearing corpse, "just saved a whole lot of people. So who exactly do I have to thank for helping us?"

"Isamu Midorinoki." He said, offering a hand, which Alex shook. "The Mind Sage mentioned that he met you. I'm one of his disciples."

Alex nodded, recalling the Alakazam to the east of Koria. "Well Isamu, I'll make you the same offer I made Ledi Girl and Night Cat. If you ever want to join the Scales of Balance, just let me know. I know Red wouldn't mind having more help over in Japan."

Isamu's eyes went wide. "Are…you serious? Really? Me?" Alex nodded. "I mean…yea, I'd love to join a group of that many Champion Trainers." Isamu chuckled awkwardly. "Are you sure I'm good enough?"

Alex nodded. "I look forward to seeing what you can do once you find five Zygarde Cores. But right now, yes, you're good enough, and we could do with having more Earthbenders." He gestured at the grave marker Isamu had raised over the remains of the pale man.

"In that case, I'll apply once I get back home. Before that though, I have some questions for you, if you don't mind?" He gave Alex a hopeful smile.

Alex smirked. "Sure, I always have time for a fan. I do have to go ensure a war won't break out though, so let's go with one or two for now."

"In that case…" Isamu said, pondering. "Did you know recreating a Fusion reaction would reunite the Dragons of Unova? And if so…how?"

Alex scratched the back of his neck as he pondered an answer. Awkward as he seemed, he did like it when his fans got technical. "Well, that was, as I recall, more Kyurem's doing, than mine. Once it Mega Evolved, it had the power to force the opposing natures of Reshiram and Zekrom back together. All I really did was activate the Plate crystal. But who knows. Maybe there was a different way to reunite them that I never thought of. Maybe, had the DNA Splicers remained intact and been upgraded, we would have a much different form of the Original Dragon."

Isamu blinked. "So…what we see may not even be his original shape?"

Alex shrugged. "Tao said it was, and he does greatly resemble the statues of him in Opelucid City's Gym, but then, Tao sometimes omits the truth for the benefit of his plans. What matters, is that he is back, and the world is better for it."

"Can't argue with that." Isamu said as he pulled out a seemingly random pocket journal and started scribbling rapidly. "Don't let me take up more of your time, Dragon Emperor. Go make sure your people stay out of another war.

Alex bid Isamu farewell and guided Shruikan back towards the Astarte's lines. The super soldiers had begun departing into their barracks, alongside their hardware and their generic human counterparts. Alex and Shruikan landed smoothly, and Fulgrim nodded at him. "That was quite a show, Dragon Emperor…but no one who wields such pure, inspiring Light can be the man I've heard such terrible rumors about. It seems, on that too, I was misinformed."

Alex looked down for a moment, and then answered the Prime Archon. "As a ruler, I walk the line between the Light and the Dark, Fulgrim. But personally…I prefer to live in the Light. You have my word as a Trainer, and as a wielder of such power; I will not attack your Imperium, unless we are attacked first. I'll also refrain from sparking any wars even if there is an incident, in honor of your much appreciated aid against Alduin."

Fulgrim nodded, affirming his words. "If such a thing happens, find me, Dragon Emperor. We shall cut to the truth of the matter. Together."

That, brought a smile to Alex's impassive visage. "I'll hold you to that. Until next we meet, Prime Archon. Fare well."

Fulgrim nodded once again, then turned, somehow graceful as a feline despite his massive set of power armor and headed inside his barracks with the rest of his Legion. Alex sighed in relief once they were in the air over the neutral area of inhospitable mountains, Shruikan dropped his own Mega Form with a similar sigh of relief. War was off the table, for now at least, and Festivus was back on. The enormity of what he'd done did not escape him, the Imperium tended to shoot first and question later, as a rule, and now he had a ceasefire with at least one of their borders.

Before long, he and Shruikan were once more above their lines, facing them. "Scales of Balance!" He shouted, and his Voice reached them. The men and women below snapped to attention. "War has been avoided this day! Return to your families in the knowledge that, at least for now, the Imperium is not our enemy. Enjoy your well-earned rest, and your Festivus! I thank you all for responding so quickly."

One by one, the Scales either found someone to bamf them home, or departed on their flying Pokémon, while heading for Kalos. Hikoki approached him, his Latios by his side, as those who were not originally stationed on the border departed. Psychically, he recalled his partners from their stone bunkers, though he left the structures standing, most were now unoccupied. Shruikan rumbled a greeting to the Latios, who he seemed to recognize, and the Eon Pokémon gave him a slow nod. He was smiling, and from what Alex could tell, seemed as impressed as Fulgrim had been. Then, Hikoki helped him realize why.

"That Light, Alex…that was…we've never felt something like that. Serene. Peaceful. Calming, it…it was amazing. All four of you were."

Alex nodded. "That was Astrum, my Togekiss. A newer addition to my team, but one who I think I'll rely on more, after this. And the other three may be joining our ranks as Scales, if we're lucky. Keep an eye out for Ledi Girl and Night Cat. Let me know if they visit asking to join."

Hikoki blinked and nodded. "But that…didn't look like any Togekiss I've ever seen…it seemed more like…an angel. From the old stories."

Alex shook his head. "I can see how you thought that, but I promise, it was my Togekiss. He Mega Evolved after volunteering to face down the World Eater, since Arthur isn't here. He finally put that dragon to rest…and I think his essence might finally know peace, now."

Hikoki just stared. "A Mega Togekiss? Alex…nobody has ever managed to Mega Evolve a Togekiss…even those among our ranks who have such a partner claimed the energy required was just too much."

Alex patted the man's shoulder. "Well, rest assured that I, apparently, do have the power for such a creature to aid us, though I think Mega Evolving him caused the rest of my team, except Shruikan here, to drop their Mega Forms. Perhaps it was simply the right time and the right place for such an obviously Light attuned being to appear, to counteract Alduin's darkness." Hikoki nodded, smiling, seemingly as impressed with Astrum as his Trainer was. Alex could feel the flying fairy's pride from within his ball, where he was listening to every word, while resting comfortably. "If you'll excuse me, Hikoki…Arthur needs me. I left him in Albion to reclaim his home, and I should really get back there to help Jess and the others."

Hikoki nodded then, his more serious demeanor once more taking over. "Of course, Dragon Emperor. Don't let us keep you. The border will remain safe while you all rest."

Alex paused for a moment, as he hopped back on Shruikan. "I managed to create a blossoming friendship with Fulgrim, the leader of the Astartes below. We gave our respective words that we would not attack each other, on this border at least. So enjoy your Festivus Hikoki, don't let the others work too hard, alright?"

Hikoki nodded. "We'll find a balance between vigilance and rest. Safe travels, Dragon Emperor."

And with that, Shruikan began the long flight back to Albion, though from what they sensed from Arthur, things were apparently not dire, and actually going quite well.

The Dark Cells - Deep Beneath the Mediterra Mountains

Please note that for this section of the chapter, events are happening concurrently with those above ground.

The only sound in the absurdly long ceracrete corridor was that of their footsteps. So far, Proditor and Morgana hadn't encountered anyone after Teleporting a few feet straight down into this tunnel, but he could tell that the guardians of this space knew they were coming. Finally, after a solid amount of time spent walking, the corridor flared out into an open room that seemed empty.

Proditor smirked and gestured at the floor. Shadow energy sloughed off him, sank into the hidden stairway in the floor, and forced it down. Without a word, he descended, and Morgana followed. The deeper they went, the more ancient the air smelled, as if very rarely did living beings come down to this part of the Imperium's vast underground complexes. He could sense Shahir though, moreover, he sensed his friend was in massive pain. Proditor had mistaken his unconsciousness for sleep, but it seemed his partner was being kept with painful methods. And that, that irritated him.

As they reached the bottom of the spiraling stairway, the air was stale and acrid, the smell of decay and rusting metal filled his nostrils, but there was something else. The faint hint of incense. Something that seemed like armor polish, and beneath that, faintly, the stench of an unwashed Homo Sapien.

"We are not alone." Proditor finally said, as they stepped into a long hallway, lined on each side by solid black metal doors with no slits or grates or windows in them to peer inside at their occupants. At the end of this first stretch of cells, was a massive figure. His armor blended into the gloom of the Dark Cells, and as Morgana conjured a purple sphere that gave off light, they saw the rest of the Shadowkeeper's attire. Hair of some description, dyed crimson, fell back from the tip of his intimidating Aegis pattern helmet in a fiery mane. An eagle made up most of the faceplate, with its golden wings flaring out over the Custodes' crimson photolenses protecting his eyes.

A far cry from the pattern of mass-produced armor the Thunder Warriors used, the Aegis pattern was personally crafted by the Imperator himself. Ten thousand custom tailored suits made specifically for the guards of his most important complexes, and of course, the Imperator's own throne room. Like the suits, each of the Imperator's ten thousand hand modified guards, the Legiones Custodes, was a marvel of genetic engineering that even Thunder Warriors couldn't compete with, though their roles were quite different.

The Aegis armor was a part of this, as Custodes rarely had cause to remove their armor, it was designed specifically to enhance their speed and strength to a level no Thunder Warrior could hope to match by integrating with their bodies in a far more invasive manner than regular power armor. Many acolytes did not survive the process to become a Custodes, and the number of lives the Imperator had sacrificed was almost five times the number of the fully functional Custodes he'd ended up with. To the Imperator, even hundreds of thousands of lives was a comparatively small price to pay when compared to what had already been sacrificed in His name.

Autosenses, targeting reticules in their vision, and even armor-integrated weapons were all a part of a single Custodes, making each one a force unmatched in combat. Proditor, naturally, knew none of this, and thus fired a condensed bolt of Shadow energy from his palm, testing the warrior's defenses.

The Custodes didn't even bother blocking, as the dark natured plasma simply burned away against his armor's void shields. Then, it was his turn to strike. With a movement too fast for either of the intruder's to follow, the Shadowkeeper Custodes leveled his Guardian Spear at them, and simply opened fire on the intruders without so much as a word.

Proditor raised a shield of Shadow energy, and blinked in shock as he found it blasted apart by the Light-infused munitions of the Custodes, which like regular Bolters, also exploded on impact. Before he could process his shield was gone, the rest of the automatically fired explosive bullets tore into his revivified body, blowing it apart.

Morgana fared only slightly better, as the power of her stolen Eous Stone was actually enough to cause most of the bullets to ricochet off the shield of energy she conjured. Seeing this, in under a second, the Shadowkeeper focused his fire on her, and the repeated strikes to her Barrier caused it to fracture. With each deflected shot, the rounds flew into the surrounding walls, and doors to the Black Cells. The Shadowkeeper also began approaching, not especially in a hurry as he deemed these two less of a threat than they actually were, due to their seeming lack of weapons or armor.

Finally, one of the bullets found her leg, exploding on contact, and almost taking it off her person. Morgana fell to her knees under the onslaught, hissing in pain as the Light infused bullet damaged her in addition to her gaping, bloody hole in her calf.

"Mordred!" She shouted, as the Shadowkeeper closed the distance, and swung his Guardian Spear's adamantium tipped blade, limned with focused plasma around its edges, at Morgana's shield. The Custodes paused, as for the first time in his life, he found his spear stopped by something. The Shadow covered arm of a species of Pokémon he identified as a Gallade, and a severely Shadow-corrupted one, at that.

Unfortunately for Mordred, Shadow Pokémon had been a known and understood threat when the Imperator crafted his Custodes and their gear. His masterwork armor hummed to life in the darkness, with various points on it glowing bright red as he built up the armor's energy through physical effort with his body. The Imperium was also well aware of the various energy pools within humans, and these too had been genetically modified and enhanced by the Imperator in this, his (arguably) most lethal creation.

The Shadowkeeper faced the Gallade, and charged forward with a lunging stab. The graceful Shadow Pokémon dodged it, spinning around it as he closed for a strike of his own. The Shadowkeeper twisted his spear in that moment, as his autosenses and reflexes allowed him to make the Gallade pay for closing on him with a deep slash to his thin shoulder.

Mordred didn't even flinch as the plasma edged spear cut into him, he simply shifted his body again, and brought a crimson fist directly into the breastplate of the warrior, which was decorated in its center with six intersecting lightning bolts. A crystal device of some sort, once light blue and now humming with red energy, sat in the middle of said lightning bolts. Similar crystals were affixed on his brow, above the stylized golden eagle, and on his waistplate.

Mordred blinked as his fist connected with the armor, but did absolutely nothing to the masterfully reinforced ceramite alloy composite that made up the majority of the power armor's defenses, being incredibly durable in nature. Mordred simply grimaced. He needed to strike harder.

He disengaged from the Shadowkeeper, flipping back towards Proditor, as he readied a Shadow Sword on each arm. While their first clash occurred, Proditor had been busy repairing his blown apart corpse. Blobs of Shadow filled in the holes the bolter shells had left within him, as he psychically Recovered from the typically fatal series of blows.

"Shahir!" He mentally shouted, as he reached out towards the nearby massive presence of his ancient friend. What he had mistaken for sleep earlier had, in reality, been unconsciousness from the immense pain these people were keeping him in. "Shahir! Wake. UP!"

Weakly, a voice came to him in response. A single word, but on with the kind of hope in it that plucked at heartstrings Proditor had thought he no longer had. "Master…?"

"Shahir! I'm here, my friend! Wake up!"

Mordred charged the Shadowkeeper once more, but this time, the Custodes let the Gallade close on him. With all his might, Mordred struck at the breastplate with his Shadow Swords, leaving slight scars in the Ceramite across the breastplate's top, but it continued to stubbornly refuse to yield to his strength. Moreover, his guard was wide open following his attack, and the Custodes made brutal use of that error.

The single, perfect strike that should have bisected his thin body in two at his thinner torso missed, instead carving off a piece of his 'helmet' and its pure black pointed tip. Shadow-infused blood leaked from the wound, but Mordred didn't care.

Morgana, who'd conjured a hand made of Shadow energy to snatch her Gallade back from certain death, glared at him. "Kill him already!"

"Armor…too tough." Mordred answered through the pain. He used that pain though, as Pravus had taught him, making it enhance his inner rage.

The Shadow around his arms shifted from purple-black in color, to crimson-black, and Proditor looked impressed, as he realized what the Gallade had done. His arms now flared with Shadow, not at all unlike how Arthur's had burned with Light in his Mega Form during their last clash. Again he dashed forward, but the Shadowkeeper was done indulging in this welcome distraction after centuries of pure, unadulterated boredom. Since the end of the Dark Times, this part of the Black Cells had seen little usage, and this intrusion was a welcome change of pace.

It ended now, however. Hitting a button on his spear, a lever popped up vertically from the haft, and he pulled it towards him. With an audible hum, the tip of his Guardian Spear became toothed akin to a plasma chainsaw, combining the cutting power of focused plasma, with the repetitive whirring speed of the aforementioned tool. The 'blade' of pure energy also became larger, giving him more reach, and a deeper cut.

Moving faster than any creature that large and heavily armored should've been able to, this time, the Shadowkeeper closed on Mordred. For his part, Mordred had taken the brief pause to focus his energy, and that included his eyes as well. He noted what he identified as not necessarily 'weak' points in the impressive panoply of the Custodes, but points that might be weaker in nature than the material that made up his armor.

They met in the center of the hallway, and the Shadowkeeper swung, sure of his ability to hit the Gallade. He paused, as the flexible fighting type ducked by leaning backwards, sliding on his legs across the ancient stone floor made smooth by centuries of pacing. The Custodes' strike slashed through one of the Black Cell's doors effortlessly as he missed. This time, his guard was open, and Mordred struck. One sword arm slashed the face plate, and the crimson crystal there, while the other went for the one on his breastplate.

The forehead gem, smaller as it was, shattered. The largest one that occupied the breastplate cracked, but did not break. The Shadowkeeper's night vision faded, briefly, as the power supply for his helmet broke. Naturally, there were backups in place to restore functionality, but they needed time to turn on.

He brought his spear back in a reverse slash, but the irritating Gallade backflipped over the strike, and followed that dodge with another pair of attacks. Just as quickly, the Shadowkeeper began blocking the strikes with his weapon's haft, which was exactly what Mordred had wanted to pressure him into doing.

Two strikes became four, six, eight, over and over a rapid flurry of Shadow Punches hammered the metal alloy haft. Mordred kept going, feeling his fury rise as he did so. He incorporated kicks, and began driving the Shadowkeeper back from the onslaught of blows. Then, subtly, Mordred changed the energy of his strikes, swapping Shadow for fighting type energy. The speed of his attacks increased again, but the Custodes kept up with him, as he slowly stepped backwards down the hallway, letting the creature tire itself on his impregnable defenses, and simultaneously getting him out of range of the witch that had saved him earlier.

Once they reached the end of the corridor, the Shadowkeeper immediately and brutally shifted to offense, hammering Mordred in his stomach with a fist, while his other hand continued masterfully parrying his blows, spinning the spear's haft to catch his blows with a single hand. Mordred didn't stop though, if anything, his pace increased, but another punch from the Custodes caught him in the eye. Each one felt like getting hammered by a Copperajah in the midst of mating season, but the pain only made his rage burn hotter. An aura of Shadow appeared around his frame, and it too became black and crimson as it limned his body, and condensed around him, offering him much needed protection from the timely counterpunches of the Custodes.

Finally, he landed a hit past the one handed guard of the Custodes, and shattered the central gem on his breastplate. The warrior slowed considerably as he did so, and before his marvelous armor could compensate, Mordred went for the kill. A spinning mid-air kick knocked the spear away from him, though the warrior kept his grip on it. Another follow-up kick sent him crashing back into the black stone wall of the prison.

Landing from the mid-air attacks, Mordred backflipped, bicycle kicking the Custodes' jaw as he did so, and his energy surged as he felt the helmet give, and then fly off the man. Seeing his neck, his burning arms crossed, and slashed at it. He felt the strikes connect, as he slashed through the enhanced muscles and bones keeping the human together.

His features were hard to make out in the gloom, but Mordred saw several pieces of metal, circular studs of some sort, driven into his skull's forehead area. Short black hair, tired eyes, and a face that, while it looked young, like a human in their twenties, had age lines upon it that could only have come from centuries of existence. He grimaced at the Gallade, not uttering a single word, as he drove the tip of the plasma spear into his torso.

His head fell from his shoulders and his titanic body slumped to the floor as the armor lost power, but even beheaded, the Custodes' arm held firm, and drove his spear in deeper. Irritated and in massive pain, Mordred slashed through the arm, or tried to, but only succeeded in driving the spear tip downwards in his torso, causing even more damage. With a pained grunt, he backed off the humming weapon as it too lost power, and fell to his knees as his blood mingled with that of the Shadowkeeper.

"Well…fought…" He projected at the corpse, which could probably still hear him, if not respond, as his vision flickered. He knew he needed to Recover, but his mind was going blank. What passed for vital organs for his species had been sawed apart by the plasma spear's tip, and the combination of pain and blood loss had him on the edge of death. His eyes glazed over as he stared at the black stone wall before him. Shadow energy covered his eyes, and he found himself gazing into an abyss.

"Death…is not your destiny today, young Gallade…" A strange, female voice said, echoing all around him. Then, suddenly, a mind not his own jolted his back to awareness, and he found himself able to focus enough to use Recover. It took five uses, but he eventually healed his organs with his psychic power, and closed the wound.

When he'd finished, he found Proditor and Morgana beside him. The Shadow covering Proditor's wounds was gone, and the holes that had been blasted in his body were healed and once more covered by his Shadowy garment. "That…was impressive." Proditor said, genuinely. He nodded at the corpse. "That man was a Custodes. The most advanced soldier the Imperator ever created. The pinnacle of his genetic engineering experiments. They were a pain in my era, as well…though they typically ignored me and my people. I will not be caught so unawares next time." In truth, this Custodes had seemed different, which was why Proditor had hesitated to use his usual tactics on the super soldiers. That hesitation had allowed him to unload almost a whole clip of rounds into their party.

Morgana's leg had also been healed psychically, and as the trio stood up, the thump of heavy boots from either side of the T intersection they now stood in the middle of filled their ears. "Muk." Proditor swore, but this time, he was ready. "Shellraiser! Take the left one…" The Shadow Blastoise appeared at the intonation of his name, and as two more Shadowkeepers, each garbed identically to their fallen brother, appeared at the ends of the hallway. Shellraiser launched into a Rapid Spin. Bolter fire bounced off his rapidly spinning shell that, even if it had been hit, could take quite a bit of punishment even from the explosive rounds before cracking.

For his part, furious as he was the longer he felt Shahir's pain, Proditor reached out with a single hand as his own opponent appeared, and psychically grasped him by the neck. Despite choking, the Custodes leveled his Guardian Spear, only for Proditor to raise another hand. The Shadowkeeper pulled the trigger, setting off the automatic fire, but instead of coming out of the spear's barrel, the bullets were psychically stopped in place, and naturally, exploded as they contacted each other. The spear blew apart in his hand, leaving a stump of an arm behind.

Proditor didn't drag it out, and simply used his rage to crush the enhanced windpipe of the Custodes. Turning, he saw that Shellraiser's Mega Punch had indeed been enough to crack his enemy's breastplate. He had his jaws around the Custodes' spear hand, with his own claw hand locked in a contested grip of strength with the Custodes' free hand. Keeping him in place as genetically augmented strength struggled against a Blastoise perfectly infused with Shadow, Shellraiser raised his left cannon barrel from his shell, which thanks to their positioning, aligned perfectly with the Shadowkeeper's head. The Shadow Cannon went off, boring a deep hole into the stone, as it left absolutely nothing of its target's head behind.

With the three Custodes assigned to guard this relatively empty part of the Black Cells now defeated, as three of them combined had been thought to be more than enough, Proditor and Morgana advanced down the right hallway, only to find that both led into a new, larger chamber at the center of which was the central prisoner of this part of the prison. One who had been kept in his current state for eons.

"Oh…Shahir…even you ended up bound, in the end…" Proditor whispered as he saw the state of his Hoopa. All eight of his interspace-rings, including the two on his legs, were active, and through each one, one of his limbs was locked in place, as if reaching for something. Proditor could tell his hands were bound on the other side of the portals too. He was likely exhausted from keeping them open for so many years, but as Proditor had also discovered, while Hoopa's limbs were within its portals, said portals would simply not close, for as long as they were occupied by their owner's body. They did take energy from their owner to stay that way though, and the result had been a lethargic state that hadn't allowed him to break free, despite his awesome strength.

The two rings on his legs had been used to entrap both of his legs and his head, but his head at least, was not bound on the other side. A thick, largely unnecessary chain around his neck kept him from retracting his head, though. With his hand, Proditor crushed the chain, tearing it apart with his psychic rage, further incensed by the sight of his old friend. Slowly, Shahir lowered his head through the portal, and the ring maintaining it shrunk, floating back to its default place on his right leg. "Master…I thought…you died…"

"I did." Proditor said, as he focused his power on one of the arms, and used the connected spaces to his advantage. "It didn't last." Limb by limb, he freed his friend. Alarms began sounding, but he no longer cared. He welcomed the chance to crush more Custodes throats after what they'd done to Shahir. Once he was completely free, Shahir fell to the ground, utterly drained of energy.

Proditor recalled him into his crystalline ball, and then grabbed Morgana's shoulder. With that, they Teleported away, only a short distance, as the Imperator had wards against psychic types. That didn't stop Proditor though. Three more Custodes suffered death at his psychic hands before they broke free of the compound, and made good on their escape.

News of the breakout traveled quickly, as did the word about six dead Shadowkeepers, most of whom had had their throats crushed, with two who had been missing their heads entirely. As the Imperator received this news, the air in the throne room became heavy as He experienced His own psychic rage. Given the dark nature of the Black Cells, little had been seen of the intruders, but His people did confirm that the Psyker responsible was the owner of a Gallade powerful enough to take on a Shadowkeeper Custodes, and live. Only a few possible names came to His mind, and from His spies, as He mentally went over the list of psykers powerful enough to crush a Custodes' throat, who owned an equally powerful Gallade. One name stood out above all the others, though.

Redwood.

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

To Be A Master

The following story is happening concurrently with Chapters 49 and 50. Think of it like a '49 b' type deal. Skipping is not advised.

West of Viridian City - Kanto Region

A familiar scent rolled in on the westerly breeze that blew into the sizable pack of Mankey inhabiting the somewhat forested region between the Indigo Plateau, and Viridian City. The lookouts stirred, as they smelled a human approaching. One carrying food, and other Pokémon. A Trainer. Their leader's eyes snapped open then, as the scent entered his pig-like nose, and the furious ape found an old anger re-ignited. This wasn't necessarily a 'bad' thing, in human terms. For Primeape's species, it viewed the world in degrees of things that pissed it off. This particular scent though, inspired a sudden and inexplicable urge for hat theft.

He leapt to the furthest branch that would support his size as an Alpha of his species, and hung from the sturdy branch with a single hand, his furious eyes staring at the direction of the scent. Sure enough, it was him. And his Pikachu. Ash Ketchum finally crossed his path again, but the Primeape's eyebrows narrowed as their eyes met.

"Primeape!" "Pika!" The two shouted at him as their gazes stayed locked. Oddly enough, he felt his anger burn out. Even with just a glance, he could read the emotions in his old Trainer's eyes. Guilt. Regret. It tugged at his heartstrings, and Primeape decided he didn't like how that felt. He narrowed his eyes, and then swung away.

As Ash made to follow him into the trees, the other Mankey got in his way. He set his mouth in a firm line, knowing he'd never reach them with words, and angry as they were, food was more likely to be thrown back at him. That left the only other option. "Gengar! Use Psychic!"

His poisonous ghost appeared before him, rising up from his shadow, and raised his hands. The Mankey panicked as they were levitated into the air, and Ash flashed him a thumbs up. "Just hold them there!" He got a grin in response, as he and Pikachu dashed onwards. Even if the Mankey broke free, their attacks wouldn't hit Gengar.

Their pace slowed as Pikachu led them to a 'cave' of sorts, one made of foliage and branches, crudely crafted between several trees. At the back, sitting atop what looked like a stump that had been crudely carved (or pounded) into the vague shape of a throne was Primeape, eating his feelings from the horde of berries his minions had gathered for him.

"Primeape!" Ash called out again. Seeing him, the violent ape froze, and then turned away on his throne, though he still continued to munch on his berries. "I'm sorry I didn't keep better track of your fights. I only just learned Anoki passed away…and that he released you years before that." Through a combination of, according to the media, laziness, overconfidence in his skills, and a superior opponent, his Primeape, formerly a P1 Champion lost to Marshal, a former Elite Four member, and his Machamp. Hard. It was a loss he never came back from, from the fighting type specialist's perspectives.

After that, Ash learned that Primeape had run away in shame, and his trail had led him almost all the way back to Pallet Town. "Listen, Primeape. I know I should've paid more attention, but you're only a few miles from Gary's Lab. I know you could've visited the others. But you didn't. We've both made mistakes."

That, made the grumpy pig ape turn around, and sit up, as he scowled at Ash. "Pika. Pika-chu." His ace said, sagely, and the Primeape deflated slightly. They had a point.

"Listen, Primeape. I'm putting a team together for the World Tournament." Seeing his lack of understanding, Ash elaborated, and Pikachu translated. "It's a tournament of Battles, with the best Trainers in the world. And I want you on my team for it." Like his Glalie, his Heracross had eventually communicated that he didn't want to end up likely facing Leon and his Charizard, or that G-Max Wildfire. Ash knew Primeape would have no such fears, and he didn't fault Heracross for having them, either. Leon's Charizard was on another level, and had a habit of burning through entire teams. Eventually Leon had started using him as the ace up his sleeve and let his other Pokémon shine, but there had been a significant period where the Unbeatable Champion had only used his Charizard.

As Pikachu finished translating, Primeape jumped up, and smashed his fists together. It didn't take much to get him going, and he much preferred battling to all this emotional stuff. "Yea!" Ash joined in, matching his hype. "But before then, we need to get you in shape, bud. I think…yea…Paldea. Paldea will be perfect to get your skills sharp again." He offered Primeape his old ball then, which he'd claimed after visiting Anoki's daughter. "We're going to train so hard, you'll feel like you're dying…but by the time we're done, you'll be stronger than you've ever been." Ash said confidently. "It's a promise!"

Seeing his old ball made the pig ape lose his hype as he remembered his crushing loss, but then he nodded to himself, and headbutted the button, entering it once again. He didn't spare more than a thought for the Mankey, as another one would rise eventually to dominate, or be dominated. Such was their way. Ash collected his Gengar, left the disoriented Mankeys with some berries, and then shot into the air on his Garchomp, arguably the youngest member of his World Tournament team. With Primeape, the roster was full. He had Pikachu, of course, but he'd also chosen Charizard, Greninja, Lucario, Lycanroc, Sceptile, and his Lapras, once his Glalie decided to help the local Snorunt population in Sinnoh to survive and thrive. Now all that remained was to get them ready for Mega Evolution, Dynamaxing, or using their respective Z Moves.

His Charizard had long since mastered mega evolving, and his Lycanroc had mastered his own unique Z Move. He had Plate shards to help Sceptile, Garchomp, and Gengar mega evolve, but only Garchomp had yet to master his Mega Form. Gengar had already had some Max Soup, but he still needed to make some for Lapras, and after that, all that remained was to get Garchomp and Primeape at the same level as everyone else. Before heading to Galar however, he had to make a stop in Kalos. One that was long overdue.

Blazing Chamber, Pokémon League - Kalos Region

Serena paused in watching her Pokémon's routines as she sensed someone entering her chamber. The Champion and the other Elite Four were away dealing with what sounded like another Dark Moth related disaster, but she had no interest in getting possessed by one of his Shadowy balls of evil rage again. Her Delphox sensed who was visiting them more clearly than she did, and was the first of her Pokémon to lose her composure, and send the routine into a sparkly Poképile of failure. Seeing how her Delphox reacted, the former Kalos Queen turned to regard her visitor, only to have her words catch in her throat, her mind going blank as she saw the face that still visited her in her dreams. He was older though, very much a man now, and even had facial hair, which as far as she was aware, was a new addition to his 'experienced Ace Trainer' vibe he had going. His outfit was the usual mix of blue, black, and white, and Pikachu was openly happy to see her again.

Chasing their respective dreams had led them apart over the years, but once she'd become Kalos Queen, she'd allowed herself to indulge, despite her mentor's objection. Ash being Ash though, had found a way to Muk things up. Whether on accident or on purpose she hadn't found out, as after he'd finally answered his phone and accounted for his whereabouts, she'd hung up on him in quiet anger, and gone all in on performing. She had discovered a love of battling as well, but that new passion didn't truly burn to life until she and Calem had faced down a returned Lysander, and kept him from trying to use Yveltal's natural destructive power to unmake the world and somehow keep it beautiful. She hadn't found the idea of a world covered in lifeless statues of humans and Pokémon to be anything but horrific, and she, Calem, and Xerneas had triumphed in the end.

As she'd entered her third decade, Serena had, briefly, contemplated forgiving Ash Ketchum. That is, until she saw him in an interview, being asked the same questions Leon had been asked when he'd become World Champion. Naturally, it had shifted to his love life, as that seemed to be all anyone cared about once one was famous enough. Ash had mentioned he had a fondness for someone in particular, but the hint he'd given about them definitely wasn't relating to her. At that moment, she couldn't even remember what he'd said. She just remembered being hurt, and an empty chair across from her in a crowded cafe, while murmurs of others around her filled her ears, wondering who had the testicular fortitude to stand up a Kalos Queen on a date.

It hadn't taken the story hounds long to figure out who she'd been waiting for, and as a recently crowned Kalos Queen, the public's eyes had very much been on her, and naturally, her love life. Rumors and gossip exploded, she'd even seen Ash asked publicly about the situation, but she hadn't listened to him answer the question. More than a few of their friends had also tried to mend that bridge, particularly Bonnie, who had been determined for years to finally have a satisfying ending to the love story she'd seen at its beginning. Clemont, Shauna, Tierno, even Champion Alain had all at one point tried convincing her to at least talk to Ash, but she refused to chase after him. Just finding him was a task that required dedication and sleuthing skills, and Serena had simply not bothered, just as he hadn't bothered to show up.

She'd told Clemont and Bonnie and anyone else that Ash Ketchum was enough of a man now to talk to her himself. But he never had. Until now, anyway. Just seeing him again made her tempted to forgive his lack of romantic awareness, but she resisted, and instead crossed her arms, giving him what she hoped was an angry stare.

For his part, all Ash could do was give her a small smile as he scratched the back of his head. He could tell she was angry, but still glad to see him. Even he had enough awareness by now to understand he'd royally Mukked up a good thing with Serena. His aforementioned comment had been about Misty, but Ash had been treated to his own heartbreak once he discovered the Cerulean Gym Leader had long since started visiting Cerulean Cape with her boyfriend. Learning it was Leader Rudy of Trovita Gym had been the second blow to his feelings, and after that, for quite a few years, Ash had simply ignored women altogether as he traveled the world alone, preferring to befriend Pokémon over people as he strove to be a Pokémon Master.

Finally, he managed to work up the courage to speak, and fill the awkward silence. "Serena, I…I never got to apologize to you, or explain what went wrong…you hung up on me, and by the time I showed up to the cafe, you were long gone. Nobody would tell me where you went." He explained then, in detail, about Goh's call to Galar, to study Dreepy in their natural habitat. How said study session had gone horribly wrong when a nearby Trainer tried to catch a fully evolved Dragapult, and sent the entire group of them into an enraged frenzy. How he'd been stuck there with Goh, for hours, until the enraged dragons finally calmed enough for them to slip out of their territory without being mauled or bombarded with Dreepy missiles.

When he finished, he could tell Serena was angry, but she was also a Kalos Queen, and had long since mastered her emotions. "I could've guessed you'd prioritize Pokémon over me. I expected that. It's not just about that one date though, Ash. I wasn't a priority in your life at all. You never showed up to explain, or apologize. Not even a letter. For over a decade."

"I…I didn't realize it was a date, Serena. It was Bonnie who told me how important it was to you…and by that point I knew I'd messed up. I didn't know how badly, until I spoke to her. I tried getting someone to talk with you on my behalf…but they all came back saying the same thing. You weren't interested in anything but contests, and I'd have to speak to you myself. Then, in that interview, the one right after you became Kalos Queen and all this happened, you said you were done with love entirely. So…I let you travel your own path…and as time went on, I thought bringing up the past in person would just make it all even more awkward."

Serena's brows furrowed. "And yet here you are."

Ash nodded, and walked towards her, entering the chamber completely. Her Pokémon subtly waved at Pikachu, who seemed eager to see them again as well, but the tension the two humans were giving off forestalled any long overdue reunions for the electric mouse and his old traveling companions.

"Here I am. A…wise Emperor told me that the only way I'd learn and grow from this mistake is if I finally talked to you about it. I can't change the past, Serena. I was oblivious to a lot of signs for a long time. Signs that, in hindsight, are so obvious that I still cringe at how oblivious I was back then. I'm sorry I hurt you that day…you deserved better." As the silence dragged on, Ash was hiding his eyes under his hat until he spoke again, quietly. "I'll leave now, if you want, but…you're right. You were owed an apology a long time ago, and it's on me for being…too ashamed to even try to make things right."

"You've changed, Ash Ketchum." She said softly, before finally relenting to the feelings that she'd been repressing for far too long. "But so have I. I'll accept your apology…honestly, I was glad you were alright back then. I just couldn't say it. It feels like a lifetime ago now, and so much has happened since."

"Tell me." Ash said, raising his head, meeting her eyes, and seeming genuinely interested. And so, she did. She went into detail about how she'd beaten Aria, and finally taken her crown, only to then lose it to a Unovan Trainer on her spring break from University. Said Trainer apparently didn't want the title though, and a contest to crown a current Kalos Queen had not yet been discussed. Ash went into detail about his match with Leon, with insights that only came from being present for that final, epic clash to decide the strongest Trainer in the world. Neither had been able to be there for the other's biggest achievements, but oddly enough, that didn't seem to impair their attempts to reconnect. She described teaming up with Kalos's own Prince to defeat Lysander, again, and Ash described the numerous Legendary Pokémon he'd met and even battled in the years since they'd parted ways.

Somehow, by accident, the pair ended up in the bell tower of the plateau's chateau, and were treated to a fiery sunset, blissfully unaware of the events occurring even then on the region's border. "So what do you want to do next?" Ash asked, as their conversation reached the present day. "It sounds like you're tired of the Elite Four."

Serena giggled lightly, for the first time in years she felt happy enough to do so. "You figured that out quickly. Reading my mind with those Aura powers, are you?"

Ash shook his head, suddenly turning serious. "Invading someone's mind isn't allowed…unless it's absolutely necessary and lives are on the line. I do pick up surface thoughts sometimes, if they're loud enough."

She leaned in close to his face then, and smirked as his cheeks shifted to a red shade. Her blue eyes had him snared, and this time, he had enough experience to recognize the look in her eyes. It was the same way he'd seen Misty look at Rudy when he'd gone to confess his long held feelings to her. It was the same look she'd given him when they were ten. In fact, as the memories helpfully flooded in from his Greninja's near perfect recall through their psychic bond, he realized she'd had that look in her eye long before they'd met again in Kalos. "Ash?"

"H-huh? Erm, sorry, what?"

She smiled at him, and it affected his body in ways he hadn't experienced before. It felt like all he could hear was his heartbeat, but this time, her words did reach him. "I said, can you tell what I'm thinking?"

Taking that as an invitation to peek, his eyes flared with his aura as he very easily recognized the particular memory she was recalling. That kiss had left him speechless when he was ten. Alex and Jimen's advice on women floated through his head, then. Eye contact. Gentle but firm grips, if he ended up touching her, and most importantly, according to the Dragon Emperor of Unova, instinct. When the brain started over-thinking, it was best, apparently, to just go with what felt right.

Well over two hundred thousand years of instinct guided him in that moment, as it had pretty much every other human pair across the epochs. As he finally returned her kiss, albeit several decades later, he realized he didn't actually know how to kiss. What to do with his tongue. Where his hands were supposed to be. Once more, he trusted his instincts, and pulled her closer to him. She didn't resist.

As the two humans kissed, behind them, hiding in the stairwell, Pikachu and Serena's Sylveon slapped their respective tail and appendage together in a mimicry of a high five, and left the humans to their business.

When the pair finally needed air, they were both panting slightly and quite flushed. Ash brushed some hair from her face as he said, "I don't want to leave Kalos without you, Serena. Will you come with me?"

She nodded, unable to stop smiling. Her eyes seemed brighter, too. "I'll travel anywhere with you, Ash. Where are we going?"

Montenevera - Paldea Region

Several weeks passed as Ash and Serena left Kalos for nearby Paldea, traveling on foot to get there. He mainly used his Garchomp and Primeape against the rather strong Pokémon in the mountains between the two regions, and when they finally arrived in Paldea, they found themselves in a bamboo forest occasionally broken up by large, mountainous pillars topped with obsidian. After Garchomp chomped his way through several dragon type Trainers and powerful Pokémon along Paldea's northern coast, Ash and Serena decided to head to the lively town they saw up in the mountains. Being the World Champion and former Kalos Queen helped them get a rather nice room, and while at the open-air style Pokémon Center just outside town, Ash found a man willing to train his Primeape, and anyone else, in exchange for bottle caps.

Having been given a large stash of them as compensation after Jessie and James were criminally tried, convicted, and imprisoned, Ash finally had a reason to use them, much to the man's delight. This intensive training took several days, but by the end, all ten of his team members were in the best battling condition of their lives, with each of their stats having been trained to their utmost limits. The man had even suggested giving them 'Nature Candies' which apparently were capable of changing a Pokémon's skills to match their ideal nature, regardless of what their actual nature was. This too, further enhanced Ash's World Tournament team.

It was the day of the announcement of the start of the latest World Tournament that Ash received a challenge from the local Gym Leader, Ryme. The match ended up being counted for the World Tournament rankings, and was being officiated by a Drone Rotom. Set up to be a double battle with only two Pokémon used per Trainer, the MC of R.I.P. had thus far been rolling the World Champion, largely thanks to her type advantages over Garchomp and Primeape.

"A combo of ghostly fairy flair, in this World Tournament, we declare, Mimikyu's spirit, an unstoppable force, with Play Rough's grace, we'll stay on course! Oh!" In response to Ryme's admittedly smooth bars, the no longer 'disguised' Mimikyu danced its way into a Play Rough attack on Ash's Garchomp.

"Garchomp! Block with Poison Jab!" The dragon shark nodded, and took the Mimkyu's attacks in stride, as its tendency to spin to the beat of the music in the background of the match kept it from the constant pounding Play Rough usually entailed, that might've been able to break his Garchomp's guard. Primeape, for his part, was facing off against Ryme's ace, Houndstone, and like every other round in this battle, the MC of R.I.P. decided to taunt his Primeape. Ash didn't stop her though, as it was working, and making Primeape well and truly furious. Furious enough, perhaps, to master the move they'd come here to learn.

"Primeape's fists swingin', it's a raging typhoon, but Houndstone, she's phase-shifting, like a ghostly monsoon! Swiftly dodging, vanishing from sight, leavin' Primeape swingin', in the cold and empty night!" As the pig monkey's latest fighting typed attack failed to do anything, again, the bars dropped on his ears made his right eye twitch. Then, the crowd chimed in on the chorus, which didn't help his anger. "With spec-tral howls they mesmerize! Defeating Primeape, no compromise!"

"Focus Energy, Primeape!" Ash ordered. "You can hit it, you just have to use its own energy against it!" The enraged pig ape smashed his fists together, eyes going bloodshot as the music, bars, and chorus only made him angrier.

Rhyme wasted no time as she followed up with more bars, and an attack. "Play Rough, our fairy jam, hits like a meteorite, surprising Primeape, it's an unexpected delight! Weaving through the chaos, we maintain our might, in the World Tournament arena, we shine so bright!"

The undead hound shone brightly as it too used Play Rough, but Ash was ready. "Focus, Primeape! Dodge its attacks!" In that moment, as Primeape focused his rage on his opponent, the world seemed to slow down. Fairy limned jaws snapped at him, but he leapt back. A claw glowing with fairy energy swiped at him, and he dodged to the side. Strike after strike, Primeape was able to read Houndstone's moves.

Again the Houndstone tried a fairy bite, and Primeape dodged, eyes widening with Ash's as they both saw the opening in his guard. "Now, Primeape! Rage Fist!" Seeing what Ash was doing, and having lowkey agreed to help his overleveled Primeape learn the ghostly move, Ryme chimed in yet again, with a timely verse.

"You swing, you punch, but we'll sidestep with ease! A ghostly evasion, a taunting appease, in this haunted arena, we're the queens of the stage! Your Rage Fist's worthless, just burning with rage!"

As the words entered Primeape's ears, his fist went straight through the Houndstone again, and the undead dog barked a laugh at him, taunting him as his Trainer had. Seeing this, Ryme kept the burn going. "You fume and you flail, trying to unleash, but your anger's misguided, it's simply a tease. Houndstones a phantom, a spectral delight, your Rage Fist won't land, not a chance in the fight!"

That, finally, tipped Primeape over his breaking point. His fists burned with energy, but it wasn't ghostly. It was draconic. "PRIIIIIME!" He roared, leaping forward and brutally smashing the undead hound with his fists. Beside him, Garchomp and Mimikyu paused their own tradeoff of moves to watch Primeape as he lost his cool. Ash shouted to him, but Primeape was beyond hearing.

That didn't stop Ryme though, as she was in the zone, and continued spitting bars unimpeded. "Oh, Primeape, you're Outraged, I see the red haze, but your fury won't faze us, we'll be unscathed! Houndstone steps up, a gleam in her eye, Play Rough's the response, watch your rage subside!" And while the first few dragon energy encased punches landed, the timely response from her Trainer made Houndstone counter much like Garchomp had, smashing and overpowering the draconic energy that, thanks to the fairy energy, did no damage, and hurt Primeape to even make contact with. Eventually, Outrage faded, and as Primeape felt the confusion overtaking his mind, he slammed both fists into his face, hard, shattering the confusion without so much as flinching.

Seeing this, Ryme continued. "Through Outrage and chaos, you've found your core. The fire in your eyes, a powerful roar!"

"Once more!" Ash broke in, "Rage Fist!"

Once again Primeape channeled his rage, and this time, finally, the ghostly energy of Montenevera responded to his anger. Ghost typed power swirled around and into his frame, coalescing around his fist. With no hesitation, Primeape leapt forward and smashed Houndstone right across its face, and with the significant damage from Outrage earlier, the super effective move was enough for a knockout.

Ryme took it in stride. "You got my Houndstone, it's true, hey, good for you, but don't you forget 'bout my…Mimkyu!" The music got louder than, and the beat picked up its pace, at Ryme's subtle ordering, once she noticed her vibing fairy ghost was moving just a tad too slow to effectively break through the Garchomp's guard. "With a twirl and a spin, like a phantom's embrace, Mimikyu dances, defying their chase, dodging their moves, with ethereal grace, Play Rough's power, they can't erase!"

Sure enough, as Primeape and Garchomp teamed up on the ghostly fairy, the enhanced beat it was matching allowed it to zip around with admittedly fresh dodges that Ash had to appreciate. It reminded him of Tierno and Blastoise, and despite his musical preference for a more classic style of Rock n' Roll, he found his foot tapping along to the beat. "Keep it up guys! Poison Jab! Rage Fist!"

Ryme countered, as she countered both ordering her partner, and spitting bars. "This stage is ours, we won't be confined, Mimikyu's strategy, a web intertwined. Garchomp and Primeape, our opponents aligned, with Play Rough's might, victory is defined! Oh!"

In a truly impressive display, the Mimikyu's wooden approximation of Pikachu's tail smashed away the Poison Jabs, and its slick moves made the Rage Fist miss. New as Primeape was to using ghost energy, he couldn't use it with the speed he had for his other moves. Yet. Then, suddenly, Primeape felt Garchomp press into his back, as the Mimikyu had them surrounded, dancing around them in a rapidly moving circle of pink energy. It was all they could do to block, but with enough hits, Mimikyu could pull out a win.

Ash knew he had to change tactics, and more importantly, interrupt this beat. He hated to damage Ryme's equipment, but he also needed to win, if he was going to make the cut for the World Tournament. "Primeape! Jump as high as you can! Garchomp, use Earthquake!"

Ryme opened her mouth to spit yet more bars, but as Garchomp unleashed his power, the Gym Leader's stage buckled, and the nearby musical equipment faltered with a harsh screeching sound as the sheer power of the move interrupted their flow, and shook the entire town. Mimikyu also leapt to dodge the attack, though as it landed and tried to bounce back, Primeape came down from above and delivered a ghostly thwack. With the damage Poison Jab had done, though mitigated, the ghostly punch from above was enough to make the Mimkyu's eyes turn into spirals, and the match was won.

Ash and Ryme shook hands, the crowd of die hard Ryme fans booed, and his World Tournament rank was updated. Being the World Champion let him start in the Master Class, but he still needed to battle to maintain his spot. He hopped down from the shattered stage then, to the only fan he had in the crowd. She was wearing her long hair down, and not by accident, her outfit was rather similar to what she'd worn when they'd first traveled together. "That was great, Ash! For a minute there I thought Mimikyu had you."

Ash gave her a confident smile. "I knew Primeape would come through. Now he just needs to master Rage Fist. Apparently, repetition is the best way, according to the Pokédex."

Serena took his hand as they walked into the main part of Montenevera. "Is there somewhere in particular he'd be able to master it?"

Ash shrugged. "It just says repetition." He looked at her for a moment then, recalled their recent time together, and noticed it had all been mostly about him training his partners, though Serena didn't seem to mind. He had, for once, noticed she also kept practicing. With the commencement of the World Tournament, Kalos, Hoenn, Sinnoh and other regions with Pokémon Contests had decided to create something new of their own, on the same scale as the World Tournament.

More Trainers than ever before in their recorded history were signing up for the World Tournament, and the Pokémon Contest halls were not content to sit idle and let the battlers scoop up all of the new generation's talent. Thus, just a day before the World Tournament's official start, the Pokémon World Showcase had been announced, with venues in Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Indius, and Galar, but Trainers from any region were encouraged to participate. There was talk of more regions participating, after the buzz the announcement caused, and Ash could tell Serena wanted to compete too.

"Why don't we visit Mesagoza? There's plenty of Trainers around the school, and you can show the locals what a Pokémon Coordinator does."

Serena raised a brow at him, "They don't have Coordinators here, Ash…" She gave him a confused look, and was viewing their time together so far as more of a vacation than anything else. But he had that look in his eye, and she couldn't help but smile at what he said next.

"Only because they don't know about them! And there's no infrastructure for it, either. Not yet anyway. I've actually come through here once before. It was…quite an adventure." He said proudly, as he scratched an itch on his nose by swiping his thumb across it. "I know the Trainers here would be blown away by what you can do, and the Academy has a history of letting students take trips to other Regions. With the World Showcase starting, they could participate. If, they were inspired by seeing a pro at work."

Serena ended up laughing, shaking her head, but seeing his logic. She smirked at him and nodded confidently. Ash blinked. There was a fire in her eyes that she hadn't had before. One his Trainer sense knew could also be turned towards battles. "And what will you be doing while I perform?"

Ash grinned. She'd figured him out. There was a score to settle at Naranuva Academy, and in order to draw his opponent out, he needed a spectacle that would get their attention. "I actually have some…business to take care of at the Academy's Battlefield. It won't take long. But I'll be able to see your performance first." He said, sounding confident.

With their destination set, it was only a matter of hopping on Garchomp and flying towards Paldea's largest city. His ground shark's speed brought them there within minutes, and having experienced that same trip across the region on the back of a Legendary Pokémon once, specifically a flying lizard that could also act as a 'bike' of sorts, he was able to compare his Garchomp's speed. His little Gible was getting much stronger, and as he had that thought, his Garchomp glanced back at him, smirked, and accelerated even faster, overshooting Mesagoza, and then arcing around back towards it.

This gave Serena quite a view of the city that was said to rival Lumiose in terms of beauty. It had a different kind of charm than Lumiose, but Serena was wowed by the colorful sight all the same. Ash brought Garchomp down in the city's center, which could double as a place for battles, and in this scenario, a stage for a showcase. He recalled his partner, and then summoned his Lapras. "Give me a platform, if you would Lapras." She trilled, happy to help, and one Ice Beam later, the World Champion was addressing the city from his icy soapbox, not seeming to have any trouble keeping his balance on the slippery surface.

"People of Paldea! Your attention, please!" He beamed as the people his words reached brought out their Rotom Phones once they recognized him. Now, it was just a matter of time. "In ten minutes, the former Kalos Queen, the Kalos League's own Serena, will be putting on a showcase right here, in your fair city! Tell your friends! Get some food! You are not going to want to miss this!"

Ash nodded at Serena as he had Lapras clear away the ice, and one by one, she brought out her partners. The crowd's focus shifted to her, and Ash fell quietly into the background. Moments later, he was atop one of the buildings flanking Mesagoza's central square, beside his Garchomp. From above, he watched, and waited.

Ten minutes passed quickly, but this wasn't the first time Serena had done an impromptu performance for crowds of people. Ball by ball, she brought out her partners, leading this time with her Delphox's masterful fire control, and with each new team member making the entire display that much more entertaining to watch.

She'd saved her Sylveon for last, and as she was feeling especially powerful lately, the fairy type's moves made the entire center of the city sparkle as they reached the finale of their routine that involved multiple Pokémon moves coalescing within and then exploding with a Moonblast. Ash blinked, from his perch above the spectacle, as the fairy energy also revealed something in the sky just as the sun fully set, something only a few Trainers seemed to notice. The lingering energy from her team's powerful moves had to, according to physics, end up going somewhere and thanks to her Sylveon, Ash could very clearly see where it was all flowing. Rather than fading into the environment and further enriching their world, it was all moving to the massive crater, behind Mesagoza's academy building. Area Zero.

His face was unreadable as he was lost in a memory, only to snap back to the present as a figure full of powerful Aura appeared at the top of Naranuva Academy's infamous staircase. It was not his own would-be opponent, but rather, one of her two Ace Trainer Protegés and a ranking Champion of the Paldea region. Ash did some math, and figured they were probably a Senior by now. Or perhaps a visiting Alumni. As he recalled, both protegés actually lived fairly close to Mesagoza.

The Trainer in question, who he knew as Juliana, approached Serena after moving quickly down the stairs, and before long, they were having a battle in the wake of the performance. That, was when Ash's quarry finally appeared, like she always did when one of her 'students' was about to battle within a square mile radius of her. "Now, Garchomp." Ash whispered quietly.

They shot out over the city then, and despite being mid battle, Serena saw him go. He winked at her as they made eye contact, and then moved fairly stealthily through the air, as the sun had now set. His landing was anything but stealthy though, and it got his opponent's attention.

After a suitable successor graduated from the Academy, and surprising nobody, Instructor Dendra had retired early to Alfornada City, passing the reins of her Battle Studies class to Nemona. As a former President of the student council and a Champion ranked Trainer, she more than qualified, and in her time as an Instructor had morphed the gym classes into what she called the 'Master Class', for serious Ace Trainers and those ranked as a Champion, and the 'Trainer Course' for aspiring Pokémon Trainers, and the majority of the Academy's population.

The Trainers in Paldea had gotten noticeably tougher in recent years, and that was very much due to Nemona's expertise in raising powerful Pokémon, under the philosophy that even the weakest species could be strong with the right partner. Ash liked to think he'd helped inspire that philosophy, and since their first meeting, the two Pokémon Battle addicts had enjoyed dropping in on eachother for impromptu matches.

Focusing on physical superiority and a healthy diet full of the same vitamins Pokémon ate had turned Nemona into a much more heavily muscled person than Ash remembered. It was clear she was living her best life though. Her face shifted from surprise to a grin as she locked eyes with Ash. "World Champion! I've been looking for you. It's like you dropped off the map for a few years. Must be a Kanto thing." She cracked her knuckles, and started walking towards him. "You owe me, Ash Ketchum."

He didn't have to ask what he owed her, as only one currency mattered, with Nemona. Battles. This also applied to her students. For those who felt her grading of their abilities was unfair, she offered an alternative solution to low scores. If they could beat her in a battle, she raised the grade in question based on their performance. While initially concerned about this policy, Nemona had spelled out her system for the Pokémon League and the school's board, and it had been unanimously agreed on. It was also quite popular with students who focused on becoming professional Trainers, and hated rote learning.

"I know." Ash said, falling into step beside the Instructor as a few students lingering in the courtyard recognized him. "I figured we were due for one, and I was in the area. Plus, there's probably a whole new Academy's worth of students who haven't seen you and I in a real Battle."

"As always, World Champion, your timing is excellent. To say the students have been eager for me to bring you in again is…an understatement. Currently, only our Seniors were around for our last match." She explained, as they strolled through the Academy's main floor, causing even more of a stir. From his shoulder Pikachu waved at the students he recognized. Then, smelling something good, he scurried off Ash's shoulder towards the cafeteria. Ash wasn't worried though, as he knew their head chef as well, and said chef was as much a fan of Pikachu as his Mabosstiff was. Nemona kept talking, as they reached the running track that encapsulated the Pokémon battlefield in its center. "Honestly, since we had you, it's been nothing but top Trainer requests. Red. Leon. Victor. Hilbert. Redwood. Nate. Jiyoshi. Even Hibiki. I got Gary Oak to come one year, but he thought he was here to lecture. We did get a good Battle out of him eventually, though."

Ash laughed, as they parted to take their respective spots on the now singular battlefield that took up the center space around the track. It was marked in such a way that technically, it could service three battles at a time, on busy days. "That sounds like Gary. I can talk to a few of the names on that list, if you like. I'm sure they'd love a chance to Battle here."

Nemona beamed at him. "I'd appreciate it!" Her demeanor shifted then, as they were now in place. The fire in her eyes burned to life, and she gave him a grin some might call manic, but he knew was actually displaying her pure, unfiltered excitement for a battle in this tier of competition. She drew a Pokéball with her gloved hand, and held it out. "World Tournament rules okay with you?" Ash nodded, and as if summoned by those words, a Drone Rotom descended from the sky. Nemona waved it over, and explained the ruleset, at which point it took the center of the field, and waited. Nemona then tapped a few buttons on her much more technologically advanced arm brace, compared to the one she'd worn when Ash last saw her anyway, and suddenly the track around the field rose out of the ground. Descending stand seats appeared in the lanes, and a few more daring students hadn't bothered moving when they'd started rising, but instead took the opportunity to get front row seats, especially as they realized who was here.

Nemona smiled at her arm then, and looking up, Ash saw her grin plastered on the three sides of the Academy's tower that faced the city, looking out over Mesagoza. "All students, please report to the Academy Courtyard. Today we have a very special guest Trainer!" She turned her wrist at Ash then, and the World Champion flashed a victory sign at the screen. It turned back to Nemona's face then. "You all have ten minutes before we start! Rapido!" She cut out the feed then, and less than a minute later, Trainers started flying in via their Pokémon, and about five minutes after that, an absurd number of taxis showed up as well.

By the end of the ten minute limit, the majority of the student body had made it to the Academy, including a few outsiders with Alumni passes. When Nemona nodded at the Rotom Drone, it began announcing the terms of the match. "Today's Normal Class Battle will consist of a three on three match, with no limits on the number of uses of Dynamaxing, Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Terratallization, or any other as yet uncatalogued Pokémon power-ups. Pokémon may use as many Moves as they can remember. One item per Trainer is allowed." The newly upgraded Drone Rotom, which had six fans now instead of four and now had its camera in between its eyes, moved its center pair of fans upwards, projecting the stats on the two Trainers for all to see.

The amount of stats the League had on them surprised both Trainers, and since the start of the tournament Ash had taken to simply comparing the bars that showed wins, and the bars that showed losses. Then, Ash blinked as he saw just how many losses she had. It was only the sheer amount of wins that kept that number, which was in the thousands by this point in time, from looking bad. Her total number of battles was also quadruple Ash's, and he figured that made sense, for an Instructor obsessed with battling in an Academy full of Trainers. He also knew who was responsible for all those losses, and he looked forward to seeing how Juliana and Florian had grown. "The Challengers today are Champion Nemona, of the Paldea Region, versus Ash Ketchum, the reigning World Champion!"

"Looking good, Drone Rotom!" Ash said, flashing it a thumbs up. The drone's face smiled wide, and its fans spun around its body in a rapid rotating motion, a countermeasure for when one inevitably stopped working mid-flight. It also gave them access to Hurricane as a move.

"Let the Battle begin!" Drone Rotom announced, as he floated backwards, and used his fans for optimal viewing. Its camera also acted as another eye for Rotom, and he used all three to make sure the camera eye got the best moments on the record. He could also split the view if necessary, to catch simultaneous reactions of both Trainers.

Nemona and Ash threw at the same time. Primeape came out of his ball ready to go, and from Nemona's ball, came an Armarouge in a kneeling position. As it stood up, its eyes burned to life upon meeting Primeape's gaze. Seeing the type matchup on the board, Nemona grinned at Ash. "Looks like I have the advantage."

Ash smirked. "Don't count out my Primeape! Rage Fist!" The eager rage monkey leapt into action, and like before, summoned ghostly energy into his body, before coalescing it around his fist.

"Expanding Force!" Nemona countered, and with a roar, her Armarouge launched an expanding wave of intense red-pink aura towards Primeape. The Rage Fist would not be deterred, though. When the moves met, Primeape only got angrier as he felt the expanding attack fight back against him. Thankfully, the momentum from his jump and the ghostly power carried him through, but his momentum was gone, and the Rage Fist's energy had weakened.

"Again, Primeape! Rage Fist!" Ash said, smirking, and Nemona nodded, as she grasped what he was trying to do. Once more, the ghostly energy burned to life, and the rage overtook Primeape's mind and body.

Changing tactics, she gave Armarouge a new order. "Use Psyshock!" The Armarouge lifted its hands and sent multiple psychic projectiles at Primeape, but each one only seemed to make it angrier, and each one was smashed through by the raging ape's ghost imbued fists. After about two solid minutes of this, Nemona, Armarouge, and the gathered students of Naranuva Academy watched the Primeape expectantly. In fact, the only one who didn't know what would happen, was Primeape himself. Given that Pokémon were quite capable of choosing whether or not to evolve, Ash wanted him to have the choice between giving into the rage, and becoming something new, or staying the same as he'd always been.

Primeape was panting hard, mostly because of how angry he was but also because one of the Psyshock bolts had managed to critically hit him, and that only served to max out his rage, and his attack power. Armarouge seemed untouched, by comparison. So far, its psychic attacks had done well at keeping the super effective move away from it. This had also made Primeape angrier. In fact, though he didn't realize it, this was the most enraged he'd been in years, and it felt great. Then, the Armarouge raised a hand at him, and gestured for him to 'bring it'. Primeape's eyes narrowed, as he felt his anger somehow surge even more.

Both fists lit up with the power of Rage Fist, and as he gathered the ghostly energy, he paused, feeling his heart stop from the amount of stress and rage put onto it. He glared at the Armarouge though, unwilling to let such a smug gesture go unanswered. He only vaguely felt his body dying, and he was too enraged to notice it completely. It was that combination of rage, ghost energy, and so much bodily stress that it induced death, that finally triggered Primeape's evolution. As he clung to the rage, he felt the power surge, and understood in that instant that to reject his anger now would mean probable death. He wasn't afraid of evolving either, he'd just assumed he never would again.

As his rage peaked, only enhanced by the Infinity Energy surging around him in a spiral, his fur grew longer, more akin to hair, his eyes became less full of anger, and more like twin burning pits of cold fury. His right arm, his main punching arm, swelled and snapped its bracer off completely, while his left arm swelled enough to break it, but not enough to make it fall off. The newly evolved Annihilape let out a ghostly wail as the evolutionary glow faded, and then, it launched towards Armarouge, solely focused on winning.

"Go Annihilape! Shadow Punch!" The ghostly rage monkey glanced at his Trainer mid run, as his words cut through the all consuming rage. The pure red eyes softened slightly, and Annihilape nodded, turning back to his target as his form faded into the shadows.

Nemona wasn't one to sit around, though. "When it reappears, use Psychic!" Her Armarouge nodded, waiting, watching, then it turned towards a shadow on the field, and raised a hand, catching Annihilape as it manifested again.

"Break through it!" Ash shouted, instinctually guiding his partner in flaring his aura. Ash's own aura flashed across the ground by his feet, and Annihilape flared out the ghostly energy that was part of him now, breaking Psychic's hold. Given that Shadow Punch never missed, he then brought his heavily muscled fist across the armored warrior's face. To Annihilape's immense satisfaction, the power behind the punch sent the sturdy Armarouge flying, and he wailed again, with a higher pitch this time, that sounded more like a shriek.

His anger wasn't as hot as it was when he was still alive, he didn't have the urge to beat his chest or accrue a mountain of berries. Now, his rage was colder, more focused. Now, all Annihilape wanted, was victory. "Once more Annihilape! Shadow Punch!"

Hearing that, Nemona changed tactics. "Take aim, Armarouge. Shadow Ball!" Using the ghost typed energy's nature to be drawn towards itself, Armarouge ended up pointing its armor cannon at the spot that Annihilape sprang from. The Shadow Ball fired, expanding as it neared its target, but Ash was undeterred.

"Smash through it with your other fist! Rage Fist!" Annihilape obeyed instantly, uppercutting through the attack and dissipating it, before he brought his Shadow Punch down again, this time on Armarouge's helmet. It went face first into the field, and Drone Rotom's voice rang out. "Round one goes to the World Champion, and Annihilape! Congratulations on your evolution! Updating roster. Update complete! Begin round two!"

As Drone Rotom chattered, and Annihilape gave it a smooth thumbs up following its congratulations, Nemona recalled her partner. "Don't worry. We're nowhere near done yet." She turned back to Ash, and grinned. "That Primeape must've been pretty strong."

Ash nodded, proudly. "He was. One of the many reasons I wanted to give him the chance to become stronger, and evolve." Annihilape looked at his Trainer, able to clearly process his words for once, now that the rage was cooler, and more focused. He felt his ghostly heart twinge, and was even more determined to win, now. Without noticing, he'd walked up to Ash, who just gave him a knowing nod, and raised his fist. The two shared a fist bump, and then looked over at Nemona as she called out her second choice. Knowing her, this was where she started to counter, and try to regain her lead.

"Come out, Meowscarada!" The students behind her cheered and made 'oooo' noises, as her most recent addition to her World Tournament team took the field with all the grace and poise her species possessed. The smug looking magical grass cat smirked at the Annihilape, and then fell into a crouch, claws extended, and 'cape' flaring behind her. "Let's show our newly evolved friend how we roll in Paldea!" She raised a hand then, and Ash smirked, as he saw the Tera Orb. "Terrastalize!" Nemona ordered, and her Meowscarada answered eagerly, shining brightly, before coalescing the power of Terapagos around itself and using it to become a pure grass type. "Now, hit it with Flower Trick!" Nemona said, finally giving an attack command.

Ash and Annihilape were ready, though. "Into the shadows, Annihilape. Then Shadow Punch!" The undead pig monkey nodded, and faded into intangibility, swiftly dodging the exploding Flower Trick. Or, at least trying to. Meowscarada expertly tracked the hidden Annihilape, and as it reappeared for its attack, the grassy magician snapped her fingers, and her flower pod descended right on top of Annihilape, scoring a critical hit, one that hit all the harder thanks to her Tera Type.

Seeing Annihilape wouldn't last through another hit thanks to Drone Rotom's accurate and real-time display of a Pokémon's remaining health in the form of a bar, Ash recalled his partner. "Well done, Annihilape. Take this Potion, and rest for later."

Drone Rotom chimed in then, as Ash switched. "The World Champion has recalled his Annihilape, and used his only Potion on it!" It updated its stats, as Ash picked his next Pokémon. Against a grass type this powerful, he only had one real choice. "Charizard! I choose you!"

Nemona blinked, as Ash's took the field, and she gave voice to the murmurs coming from the students. "I haven't seen your Charizard since…the Battle Frontier. It beat an Articuno, as I recall."

Ash sighed. "Yea…it's been a long time since I've used him in a Tournament. I figured he was due. We've been partners for ages, he's just been training this whole time, aiming to become the strongest." He smirked under his hat then, hiding his eyes, and Nemona felt a prescient chill run up her spine. "Show them, Charizard! Mega Evolve!" He shouted, raising the Key Stone on his glove. His Charizard tossed up a Flame Plate crystal in front of him at the same time, and their synchronized energy boosted him to his Mega Form, one that wouldn't be weak to Meowscarada's Play Rough. The fire and flying typed Mega Charizard formed from the burst of energy, and shot into the air. "Alright, Hurricane!"

With a roar that shook the air, the Mega Charizard beat his wings, and a cyclone of fast moving wind whipped up around Meowscarada, obscuring her from sight. Nemona didn't wait for the damage to start, though. "Break out with Power Gem!" For a moment, nothing happened, then, a stray rock from presumably the attack went sailing like a bullet right past Nemona's head, and into the energy barrier, which it impacted so hard, it shattered. Nemona blinked, as she realized how close she'd come to losing an eye.

Seeing he had her trapped, Ash capitalized. "Add some fire to it! Flamethrower!" After a deep inhale, his Charizard filled the cyclone with flames, and as he sensed his opponent faint, he willed the wind to cease, landing and triumphantly roaring as the wind and flames dissipated.

"Meowscarada is unable to Battle!" Drone Rotom announced, "The second round goes to the World Champion, and his Charizard!"

Nemona paused for a moment over her team, and then made her final pick, a logical choice, based on what she had to beat, and who Ash was likely to use as his third partner. "Go! Garganacl!" She shouted, and as the massive rock type appeared, it sparkled. Unlike regular Garganacl, Nemona's was sporting massive light brown blocks instead of pure white ones. "Get Charizard near the ground! Rock Blast!"

The living salt formation raised one massive arm, and started firing boulders out of its large, blocky fingers, but the Mega Charizard was too fast and mobile for them to come close to landing. Seeing this, Garganacl adjusted, making the exploding rocks, and their shrapnel, force the flying fire lizard to fly lower as he dodged.

Then, Ash gave them what they wanted. "Charizard! Build some momentum, and then use Earthquake!"

Nemona grinned, as she saw her chance. "Dodge with Rock Tomb!" Being physically unable to jump and avoid the Earthquake, Nemona did the next best thing, and gave herself ammo. Garganacl raised itself up on the massive boulders, just in time for Charizard to hit the ground after looping around in the air to gain speed.

The Earthquake shattered the Rock Tomb, and Garganacl fell through it, largely unaffected. Charizard was on the ground now though, and he'd just given them enough ammo for a quadruply effective counter. "Rock Slide, go!" Garganacle raised both arms this time, and the shattered Rock Tomb floated into the air, and then shot towards Charizard, pummeling him even as he used Dragon Claw to smash several. The rocks were also larger than they would be normally, had Garganacl manifested them with its own power. The avalanche of stone buried the Mega Charizard before he could try to dodge back into the air.

"Charizard!" Ash shouted, as his partner was essentially buried alive. The pile of boulders flashed, as his Mega Form faded, but Ash was more concerned about his well being, than how much HP he had left. Seeing this concern, Garganacl raised its arms again, moving the boulders off its target with its power. Ash gave it a nod, and then fed his partner a Revive. "You did well…I should've swapped you out against a Rock Type…this one's on me." Charizard put a claw on his shoulder then, and shook his head. He looked at Garganacl, and sighed. Ash got the feeling that his fire lizard was lowkey admitting that some match-ups simply didn't work out, especially against a quadruple weakness. It was just more motivation to train harder. Ash recalled him, and Teleported back to his spot. "Alright Annihilape! You're up!"

Once more the ghostly pig ape appeared, but this time, his hair and even his new longer eyebrows, were flaring upwards with ghostly rage. Ash nodded to himself. Primeape's love of battle had not gone unnoticed by Charmander, back in the day. The two were old friends, and had sparred several times. Unbeknownst to Ash, it was this same friendship that had caused his loyal Charmander to regard him as weak once it evolved. Seeing his old friend get buried by rocks only served to re-ignite the rage in Annihilape, and he smashed his heavy fists together, before snorting, and staring down Garganacl. For its part, the differently colored salt stack looked about as expressive as a cliff face. This only made Annihilape angrier, as it couldn't discern a reaction from the living rock being. "Alright, Close Combat, and don't let up on it!" Ash shouted.

Like a ghostly flash of lightning, the enraged Annihilape crossed the distance between it and its target, and began smashing into the rock type with super effective hits. And while they were damaging, and landing, they were also doing almost nothing against the frankly absurd physical defense that Garganacl enjoyed, making it almost as tanky as an Aggron. Nemona was quick to counter. "Use Wide Guard! When you see an opening, hit it with Salt Cure!"

A hexagonal barrier of rock energy briefly stopped the Close Combat, at least until Annihilape smashed through it. The following Salt Cure blasted his fur, and he coughed, gagging on the saltiness as some entered his mouth and nose. "Keep it up, Annihilape! Give it a Cross Chop!" Shaking free of the damaging saltiness, Annihilape leapt again, its arms forming an X as it aimed for Garganacl.

Nemona was quick to counter, though. "Heavy Slam!" Steel energy formed in Garganacl's arm as it swung and connected with Annihilape. The moves exploded in a collision of energy, and while Annihilape landed a critical hit, the damage from Heavy Slam sent it flying up and out through the smoke, where he landed before Ash, finally knocked out thanks to the difference in weight between it and Garganacl. With that much of a weight difference, moves like Heavy Slam could overpower type resistances.

Drone Rotom announced the KO, to the cheers of the students, while Ash brushed the remaining salt from his fur, and gave him a Revive. "You did great, Annihilape. Take a rest, while we wrap this up." Annihilape, more tired than angry now, simply nodded. He could guess who Ash would pick next.

"Pikachu! Let's finish this!" Ash shouted, pointing at the sentient salt rock. His starter was hyped, brimming with electricity and raring to go after seeing how hard two of his oldest buds had fought.

Nemona just smirked at him, as she gave her living salt formation a Hyper Potion. "Are you sure you want Pikachu? Garganacl knows Ground Type Moves too."

Ash returned her smirk, and so did his partner. "I'm not worried. We're more than prepared to face an Earthquake. Pikachu! Full Aura!"

His partner focused then, breathing deep as he utilized his years training with the Mind Sage in battle. His yellow aura flared to life around his body, first as a shield, and then as a physically manifested aura flaring with electricity. Nemona's eyes went wide. "That's…you used that against Leon!"

Ash just chuckled. "What we used on Leon was more…instinctual. This…this is the result of our training! Show her, Pikachu! Iron Tail!"

"Pika!" He shouted, and then to all appearances, the yellow mouse vanished. Nemona saw the brief yellow flash only because her eyes were very used to watching Pokémon moves with speed that Pikachu was now matching, somehow, thanks to this 'Full Aura'. By all measurements of reality and science, a Pikachu shouldn't have been able to move as fast as Florian's Garchomp, but he did, and as his Iron Tail struck, the super effectiveness combined with the momentum he struck Garganacl with.

Even after taking multiple hits and a critical Cross Chop, her bulky rock type wasn't quite done yet, damaging as the Iron Tail had been, thanks to the Potion, the counter was theirs. "Go! Earthquake!" While off balance from the Iron Tail, Garganacl shifted its weight back, using it to counter with Earthquake as it shattered the field.

Ash and Pikachu had prepared for Earthquake specifically though, as they expected to run into it often later in the World Tournament. "Alright Pikachu, just like we practiced! Electro Web!" Still in the air from his strike, the glowing electric mouse nodded, formed the Electro Web, and sent it into the ground, as the field erupted with super effective stones looking to strike him. The Electro Web latched onto several raised points of stone, and Pikachu landed on it, riding out the shockwaves harmlessly, smirking the whole time. "Quick! Iron Tail again!"

Pikachu leapt off the Electro Web, and began zipping across the raised rocks of the field, unbothered by the rough terrain. He struck with the speed and grace of a samurai, landing behind Garganacl as the Iron Tail faded. "Critical hit!" Drone Rotom chimed again, before zooming in on Garganacl's eyes. The light in them was gone, signaling unconsciousness for the purposes of battle. "Garganacl is unable to continue Battling! The match goes to the World Champion, Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu! Your records will now be updated."

Ash and Nemona watched as they received a win and loss respectively, and then they met in the center of the field to shake hands. For his part, Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder, and rested. Full Aura took a lot out of him. Nemona smirked as they shook hands. "Ready for the hard part?"

Ash chuckled awkwardly. There was only one downside to battling at the Academy, and that was taking student questions after the conclusion of said battle. Ash was famously, or perhaps infamously, aloof when it came to media appearances. "Sure. I can handle a few questions."

In short order, he was given a podium to stand on in the center of the field, and the Academy students formed a line that was so long, it appeared to loop around the track twice, since the stands had now been lowered once more. The students all shared the microphone on their side, and first up was a girl who looked to be a fresh face at the Academy, judging by her comparatively smaller height. Pikachu was also near their microphone, getting all the scritches from the students as they waited, as well as a number of berries and snacks. Charizard was also out, though further back in the line, relaxing as he always did after a worthy battle, on his side, with his eyes closed. He too had a pile of berries and food items placed like an offering before his relaxing frame. Once she was done petting Pikachu, the girl looked up at Ash. "I umm…I was wondering, World Champion, sir, what do you think it is that makes a strong Pokémon Trainer? I've heard so many things, about strategy, vitamins, training methods, and I follow them as best I can but…it doesn't seem like my partner and I are getting stronger. Do…do I need a stronger species?" Her shiny eyes seemed to suggest she didn't want to give up on her partner, and was scared of having to do so.

Ash nodded, closing his eyes as he thought out his answer. Finally, he said, "Any Pokémon has the potential to be strong. Some species, like Charizard, will seem stronger, but that's just because Charizard in love Battling. They love it so much that they sometimes refuse to face an opponent weaker than them, to the frustration of their Trainers." The students chuckled, and Ash met the single opened eye of his fire lizard from across the field. Charizard snorted, tilting his head up and away from Ash's gaze. He'd made his choice in the Indigo League, but Ash still occasionally ribbed him for costing him the win. "It's not about strong or weak Pokémon, or even their species. Pokémon get stronger the closer you grow to them. If you want to be a good Trainer, get some more friends for your partner that can cover for its weaknesses, stick to your training regimen, and don't forget to make time to bond, too. Eating together and cleaning them goes a long way."

"Pi, Pikachu." His electric mouse added confidently, and the girl smiled, before scurrying away to let the next student up.

The next student was definitely older, probably in the same year as Florian and Juliana, given that he wasn't far from adulthood. His uniform was covered by a leather jacket, and his black hair was in a fauxhawk that seemed to be a popular style with the current generation of students. He gave Pikachu a fist bump before speaking. "Sup. You've been all over the world, right? Even the Imperium? I was wondering…how does Paldea, and its Trainers, compare to every other Region in, say, skill at Battling."

Ash glanced sideways and awkwardly chuckled. "Well, heh, just about anywhere is better than the Imperium…but on a global scale…hmm." He made his pondering face again, briefly recalling the Trainers he'd faced while on the road in each region. "Unova and Galar have the strongest, easily, and I would put Kalos just under them. I'd say Paldea's Trainers rank about equal, or just above those in Kalos. In terms of Battle, anyway. But you could say that for all of Europa. This part of the world has the largest number of new Trainers coming from it. Keep getting stronger, and you'll surpass Unova and even Galar in time." Ash knew Leon coveted his region's reputation too much to ever let that happen, but he also knew his words would reach the Galar League Chairman, and spur him on that much more.

The next few questions were fairly generic, and mostly focused on Ash's past exploits. Like taking on a Darkrai, an Articuno, and several Legendary Pokémon in battle. One even asked how many Legendary Pokémon Ash had met, and he responded by saying it would be quicker to list those he hadn't met, or seen up close. This in turn led to questions about exceedingly rare legends, like the Creation Quartet, the Eon Duo, Mewtwo, and even Celebi. He answered each as best he could, giving a brief excerpt about what he remembered of each meeting.

Finally, the line dwindled down to two, and Ash smirked, as he recognized the pair. He also noted Serena off to the side behind them, looking quite pleased with herself. Florian spoke first, as Juliana was just in the zone, petting Pikachu, and Pikachu himself was enjoying the pets, situated as he was in her arms. "I think most people these days would easily classify you as a Pokémon Master, Ash. I was wondering if you consider yourself to be one, and what you think the criteria to become one is."

Ash smirked, and looked at the ground below him for a long moment. Eventually, he raised his head. "When I was a kid, I thought it was someone who befriended every Pokémon on the planet, but…growing up made me think about it more…realistically. After all, one Trainer taking care of over a thousand Pokémon is…a lot. Not everyone can attempt something like that, but it's…more than just catching them." He looked at Pikachu then, and feeling his partner's gaze, the electric mouse opened his eyes, and met Ash's. "I think those striving to be a Master of Pokémon have a general set of shared traits. They can befriend any Pokémon they meet…most of the time. They can get wild Pokémon to trust them, if they need help. They strive to help, whenever Pokémon are hurt, or abused, or stolen, or enslaved. They see them not as pets or tools, but as partners, with their own feelings and dreams, and they try to help them reach those dreams." Ash shrugged. "These are the goals I keep in mind when I'm traveling, and I do think traveling is a part of it too. It's a journey that never ends…" He glanced at Serena then, "But even a Master has to take a break eventually. Having a home to return to is always a good thing."

Florian nodded, smiling. "Mi casa es mi castillo. Gracias, World Champion. Since it seems you're out of people with questions…" He held up a Pokéball. "How about a Battle?"

Ash smirked at him. "I'm always ready to Battle. Let's make it a Double. Juliana can join you, too." The three Trainers took their places then, as the Drone Rotom from earlier appeared again in time to officiate.

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

Chapter 50: Clash of Champions

Arborstone Castle - Albion Region

The throne of Albion was gone. In the explosion of Light that Arthur had given off, it had simply vanished, leaving the room where the King of Albion received local plights empty. Empty that is, until Arthur and Gwen began psychically rearranging things. Through his Trainer's father, Arthur had found a man who had skill at planning his days and managing the region's coin, of which there was very little. A fact he espoused on often, and loudly, whenever he was near Arthur. Morgana hadn't exactly kept the economy going, her guard's expensive tastes had. Arthur learned that for quite some years now, said guards had been enjoying themselves, free of all charges, on the Queen's authority. What little the people produced all went to the castle, as the rest of the region had been left to collapse, and rot.

Once his brothers informed him Alex was coming, Arthur had levitated in a round table and eleven chairs. Thankfully, the former reception hall, which was now a meeting room of sorts, had the space for the sizable bulk some of his teammates had. The old 'war room' as it had been labeled had become the new area to receive the commoners, in Morgana's version of comfort, rather than in front of an obnoxious symbol of authority. Arthur had also left dealing with most of their plights to his new steward. After donning some old and long-unworn uniforms from Uther's era, the green and white clad rebels-turned-guardsmen brought in people who needed to see the new King group by group.

Tao had reached out already as well, supplying some timely assistance for the beleaguered people of Albion, mostly in the form of food, and Berries for planting. Arthur had everyone who visited take some, and he knew it wouldn't be more than a few days before most dirt patches in Arborstone were sporting bushes with food on them. Pokéballs were also offered, though most citizens declined them, almost every child around eight to ten had been given some, for free, and for safety, as Albion was still a more dangerous region, despite now being purged of darkness, and temporarily confining the local fauna to a Pokéball would at least give them the chance to run away.

When Alex finally arrived, he looked tired, and Arthur rightly guessed the last time he'd slept was several days ago, when they'd camped by the Stonjourner swarm. From Alex's perspective, it had been one very long day, and Albion had only made him more tired. Upon seeing the state of the cobble streets, he'd recalled Shruikan, and started earthbending the cobblestones back together. There was now a usable road that led from Arborstone's southern gate, through the market square, all the way to the castle. It was good practice for earthbending on a smaller scale, something he'd need when he started making houses back home, but it left him more drained than he expected. By comparison, raising and hurling a boulder was easy.

He found Arthur sitting at a round table, and then quite suddenly, his cape flared as every Pokéball he had on hand opened at once, filling the room with his Pokémon. He chuckled as they started swarming Arthur and took a seat opposite his Gallade. "Warn me, before you do that guys." After a few minutes, they eventually settled down, with the A Team at the table itself. Alex smirked as he noticed his grass types, like Noir and Arbor, had taken a spot by Terra, while Kral and Pruina were behind Hydrus. Saur and Canis were also at the table, mostly because the Lucario was one of the few who could actually make use of the chairs, and Saur had been given a spot by Terra, after he'd made room for him.

Alex glanced around at them, once they were settled. "So. Arthur. I take it you planned this. Is there a reason for this sudden gathering?"

His Gallade nodded. "There is. But first…let me explain what has happened in Albion since we parted…" Alex stayed quiet as Arthur went over the details. Linked as they were, Alex was already aware of most of them, but it seemed those who had joined their mental web later, and weren't psychic types, had a harder time keeping up with current events. There was one event however, that made Alex pay closer attention. "...and then in this vision…a Giant of Light showed me how to use a Move called Spacium Beam. That's when the throne was obliterated, and the Shadow was Purged from the Region. Since then, I've uhh…handled running things as best I can." Arthur finished. Alex could tell there was something else he was leaving out but didn't pry.

"The Empire will, of course, send aid to Albion as needed." Alex stated, aware that Tao had, as usual, already started in that regard. "You still haven't mentioned the reason for this meeting, though."

His Gallade smirked at him. "Honestly, it's your own thoughts, Alex. That's why we're meeting. You may not be completely aware, but ever since Tao mentioned taming one of each Pokémon species, we've all been privy to your growing desire to reach that goal, and what's giving you pause in pursuing it. I spoke with the others, and they all agree with me; the only way to do this is together, to go over the…logistics of such a goal, and how owning hundreds, if not thousands, of Pokémon at once would even work."

Alex just stared, wondering if he should be angry or proud, but at that moment, he was just too tired to be anything but blunt. "Look guys, that's more a byproduct of my culture than any kind of…realistic goal. Almost six hundred Pokémon lines is a lot, and I have enough on my plate already."

Arthur held up a hand, before he said more. "We know what you want, Alex, we're all capable of sensing how much you want this. Or I am, anyway, and through me, everyone else understands too. As for what we want…well, ideally, we want to end up like Eremus…and myself. Living our best lives somewhere we can also help you, or the Empire. Finding our own place in the world, whether it's by your side, or out in the wild somewhere, keeping an eye out for potential threats to life's Balance. We are all on board with this concept. Lux, I believe you can take it from here."

His Rotom, which was currently possessing his Holodex, floated out of Alex's bag then. "Excluding Legendary Pokémon, aside from the ones you've already Tamed, and want to tame, the actual number is more like four hundred and sixty-eight, including regional variants as their own species, with some exceptions and of course, accounting for as yet undiscovered species."

Alex raised a brow at him. "Exceptions?"

The Rotom displayed several Pokémon then. Scyther, it's evolutions, Slowpoke, Marowak, and several others. "For species that appear as a result of an item's interference, they're considered separate from the main line. Those that evolve with stones, with Eevee being the exception, are also typically counted as the main species. So Vileplume would represent the Oddish line, but Bellossom would also count as another Pokémon. For your purposes, you'd want one of each. But in a case like, for example, Marowak, you'd need to choose which variant to pursue, as both evolve from a Cubone. A Marowak in Alola is still a Marowak."

"But an Alolan Vulpix is considered different enough from the Fire Typed Vulpix to count as its own line. I understand. Still, training and raising hundreds of Pokémon is just…a lot." Alex said, with a sigh.

Terra's rumbling baritone spoke up then, as Alex expected it might. "You would not catch them all at once. This is a goal that will take several Human lifetimes."

"And there's also the matter of what happens when you inevitably outlive some of us." Arthur added. "We've chosen a vote-based system, with the original ten who've been blessed by Xerneas dealing typically with Pokémon that share or are similar to their own types. We're in charge of gathering votes on who to add to the team, and if we agree to it. Majority rules, of course, but we also want to give everyone a voice if they have a genuine concern. We believe this system will stop any…species rivalries from making us biased."

Alex just shook his head again. "You all really want to do this? Why?"

Leo answered, this time, from the comfortable cushion he'd brought out from his ball as his own chair. He yawned, as he shared his mental voice with everyone. "We've seen what Eremus has done for the Mohave Desert in the short time he's been away, and he's not the only one who has improved the environment based on Tao's teachings. We believe that, over time, we'll be able to create a planet-wide network of team members and allies to better help you and Tao deal with any potential oncoming existential threats. Some will act as…sentries, of a sort, as they enjoy their lives in the wild, presumably leading others of their species and type, and when such a disaster is imminent, those you've trained to be Battlers will step up, and handle whatever threatens us."

Still not wholly convinced, Alex frowned at his thunder cat. "So, what, I'm just supposed to compile twenty-four teams of ten Pokémon to Battle with? Because that…is a lot."

Leo shook his head, but it was Arthur that spoke next. "We feel there should really be two, at most three teams focused on Battling. You can make teams for other things too, you know. We don't want to make those on the Battling teams locked in, either. We want our opponents to think we could pull out pretty much any species to face them, which will make planning to face us that much harder. It will also give the older members a much-needed break, if we know the younger members are strong enough to keep you, and the world, safe. Obviously training everyone is a given and won't be solely left to you to do. The common theme among us is that we all wanted to be stronger. As you yourself have said to many of us, 'to be the Best'. We want to help you get there, Alex. Let us."

Alex just chuckled, not quite believing, or even expecting this kind of response to a simple thought he'd believed he'd kept well hidden. He was proud though, proud that his little Ralts had become a leader in his own right, and one compassionate and caring enough to put something like this together, to make sure all of his brothers achieved their dreams as he had done. Finally, Alex said, "I guess that just leaves what you think, Original Dragon." His eyes shifted to the space above the table, where he sensed Tao watching them. Sure enough, the disembodied golden orbs appeared in the air.

"You have been blessed, Alexander Redwood, with a mind for Battle, and a team of truly exemplary Pokémon to aid you in your Journey. You may not yet grasp this; but your Journey is still in its early stages. The heights you will reach with your team are sure to continue to exceed my expectations, and adding more Pokémon will help you get there. This is the Way."

"This is the Way." His team intoned, simultaneously, all at once, in his head.

Finally, he sighed again, and relented. Romulus hopped in his lap, panting heavily, but excited for new brothers. He was in awe of Terra and Cenomons the most, and he also seemed to like the idea of not being one of the newest Pokémon on the team. Alex gave him all the scritches before he answered. "Alright. But no more secret organizing behind my notice. And if you know of any candidates from your time in the wild or otherwise, tell me. We can track them down and see if they will work with us. Not just to Battle and act as sentries though. To plant Berries. Clear natural disasters. Aid Humans and Pokémon in times of trouble. To make this world properly flourish. That is what our goal has to be. Can we agree on that?"

His Pokémon laughed then, all of them, and seeing his expression, Shruikan rumbled from where he'd rested his head on the table and had spent most of the meeting quietly chuckling at his Trainer's discomfort and feigned show of despair, "We already have. You were the last holdout. Stubborn Human."

Alex joined their laughter, and in short order once the gathering 'ended', he was giving everyone some brunch, as it was now almost noon. Feeding almost half a hundred Pokémon presented to him another problem for their new goal, one they would need to address. The Redwood Lab would never be able to sustain that many mouths, and start new Trainers, and feed their teams as well. It was too much to put on any one lab, no matter how many governmental Pokémon food grants they received. It was clear he'd need human assistance on this, as well as a place large enough to handle that many Pokémon.

Then, it hit him, and with a brief Future Sight, he confirmed that his idea had merit, both for him and his Pokémon, and the people of Albion as well. Morgana had been missing since breaching the Successor's tomb, but both Alex and Arthur expected her to return at some point. The people would need protecting, and Albion did have quite a bit of open space, mostly due to a lot of the human population dying off during Morgana's tenure.

He left everyone to eat, and then wandered out behind the castle, where he found Arthur, Terra, and a Gardevoir he didn't recognize. Terra had buried his massive feet in the lifeless dirt of the courtyard and was frowning, likely as he sensed just how pervasive the Shadow's corruption had been, this close to where Morgana spent most of her time.

He felt Terra cease his efforts then, tired, but not showing it, as Alex joined them. Verbally, the earth tortoise said, "The land…is too much for one Pokémon to heal…the rot runs deep…"

Alex patted his armored head. "On your power alone, maybe. But with your Trainer beside you…" Terra's eyes, dimmed by his defeat, burned to life again, as they met Alex's. "Our limits are Infinite." He raised his Key Stone then, and Terra's Meadow Plate flashed in response, as he seamlessly attained his Mega Form with a rumbling roar. Once more, Alex felt him reaching deep into the earth of the ancient region, his mind and focus consumed by his desire to make it flourish, and the surging power of Infinity Energy.

"That light…you must be Arthur's Human…" Came a feminine voice in Pokéspeech. Being what she was, she recognized the same power that Arthur had eventually let fade, along with his Mega Form.

Alex glanced at her, then at Arthur, then back to her, and smirked. "I am. And you must be Gwen. I don't know why he's hiding you from us. Perhaps my inherent shyness rubbed off on him more than I thought. You two should get some food before it's gone. I'll help Terra with this." He noticed Gwen was, even for a Gardevoir, very thin. She'd need some vitamins, and his Pokémon food had plenty, mixed in with the berries.

Sensing his thoughts, Arthur guided her to the meeting chamber to meet the rest of his brothers, while Alex and Terra looked out over the somewhat depressing view of Arborstone's gloomy streets. Life was coming back to the mostly gray, smoky city, slowly, but he and Terra could help it along.

Alex climbed on his starter's shell and got comfy. "Do you remember what Beifong taught us, in the Earth Nation? And Swamp Tree's lesson? Let the vibrations of the earth paint a mental picture for you. Extend your awareness along the flora beyond Arborstone, too. As far as you can." He followed Terra's reach through both the earth and what plants remained in Albion to its limits, just impressed at how far the earth tortoise could stretch it. With infinite energy and a Mega Form, all he needed was time to reach across Albion's surface. Or most of it, anyway.

They both frowned, as the damage was more extensive than either had expected. Though it was more obvious in some places than others, the land was rotting away to a state much like the courtyard they were currently in. Alex opened his eyes. "We're going to need the others for this." With a mental nudge, Saur, Hydrus, Arbor, Noir, and Kral joined them, though the young bouncing Horsea was more of a spectator. Saur's vines linked them all to Terra, once Alex retook his spot.

Overhead, a hunting Shruikan passing by noticed their efforts, and roared. The sky responded with disturbing speed, as dark clouds filled it. Hydrus answered his brother with a roar of his own, and then began slamming the ground before him, chanting, as the clouds were infused with water energy, and began pouring it down on the land below. Unlike past rains, this one didn't reinforce the Shadow corruption.

"Arbor. Noir." Alex said, eyes closed, and legs crossed from his spot on Terra's shell. "I need you both to launch your Seed Bombs as high as you can." The pair nodded, glancing at each other before they took their attack stances. It was a contest, now. The Sceptile felt confident he could beat the grassy cat, but Noir wasn't just going to let him win. The two grass types launched their attacks high, and from Arborstone Castle's already significant height, the green streaks through the cloudy sky drew quite a few drunken gazes from below.

Arbor clenched a claw in victory, as his Seed Bombs outpaced in speed and height compared to Noir's, only to then blink, as Terra's shot into the air with them from his tree, surpassing and surrounding them with far more than either Noir or Arbor had produced. Alex inhaled deeply, and then blew outwards, spurring the wind to coalesce the three attacks into a single ball. He used the air to kill the move's momentum above the city, and then the grassy sphere exploded, showering the land with gently falling seeds empowered by the energy of a Meadow Plate, and guided across the region by the gently coaxed natural air currents that already blew over much of it, as said air currents flowed towards the east. Even in Aurora, life would bloom.

Alex focused on Hydrus then and turned his Rain Dance into something more like a Rain Prayer, as he infused it with a small but significant amount of Light energy. The seeds landed across the region, and with Terra's reach connecting to and further feeding each one, they exploded with growth as he infused them with a Frenzy Plant, or at least, enough grass energy to match a Frenzy Plant. With that finished, Alex let Noir and Arbor return to their free time, and after a while, Hydrus went as well. Kral apparently wanted to learn Rain Dance too, and Hydrus was more than happy to instruct.

For at least half the night, Alex and Terra worked in tandem to ensure that Arthur's home would live again. Hours later and dead on his feet, Alex retrieved his team and headed into Arborstone, towards where he sensed Jess. He found her, Arthur, and Gwen putting on a psychic show for the easily amused populace, many of whom had never seen psychic moves. Most of Alex's team had no interest in performing in contests, but Arthur played his part well with the grace inherent to his species.

Their climactic finish ended atop the tower in the square's center, and the people watching below applauded. Arthur briefly scanned how the repairs were going, at least until his eyes were snared by Gwen's. She whispered something to him, and the pair Teleported away, leaving the crowd, Jess included, with knowing smirks on their faces.

"So. Did she accept your offer?" Alex said, striding up next to Jess. Some of the locals murmured, upon seeing him. He kind of stood out, as white was not a typical color the people of Albion wore. He'd also unintentionally made a memorable entrance to their city, fixing what was shattered, as if by magic, wherever he walked. Most citizens weren't quite drunk enough to believe that, but the description of the man in said tale was spot on accurate to the foreigner before them.

"She did." Jess said, seeming pleased at having a new psychic powerhouse, in the event Delphi was busy or couldn't be bothered to battle. "Once I told her about you and I, and your ties to Arthur, she agreed it was a good idea, and I agreed to let her do as she wishes."

She looked up at Alex then, who was still staring at the spot the pair had vanished from. "You seem…satisfied, with something. Did you boys have a productive meeting?"

"We did." Alex answered, finally fixing her with his gaze. "I'll tell you about it…but first…I am so hungry."

"But what about the Successor? Didn't we come here to stop him?" Jess asked.

Alex frowned. "We did…but then he vanished somewhere in the Mediterra Mountains. I let our friend in Italia know. Mew and Mewtwo are on it, apparently, and she's helping them. For now…I think it's long past time we enjoyed our break. And I really need to sleep at some point, too."

Jess nodded in agreement. "It's about dinner time back home. Shall we?"

Alex smirked. "This time, I'll pick the place." He put a firm hand on her shoulder and Teleported them to the Castelian borough of New Tork City. Immediately the far more potent stench of millions of humans and Pokémon filled their noses. Looking around, Jess saw they were in a comparatively less reputable part of the city, though dressed in their black and white clothes, they actually fit in fairly well.

Jess looked up at the aged neon over the place, which was built slightly into the ground, and had more building, probably housing, atop it, and her brows furrowed slightly. "Old Mimey Joe's?" She glanced around, then. "You want food from Narrow Street?"

Alex nodded, confidently. "You will never find a better dive for Pizza, Subs, Burgers, there's even Casteliacones. My Gruncle took me here when I was little, and the food was...amazing."

Jess smirked at him, incredulity in her voice. "Right, because food places in NTC are renowned for staying decent for over two decades."

Alex winked at her. "Art gets better with age, and Old Mimey is an artiste."

Ten minutes later, they had their cheesy-crust pizza, and had already devoured most of it, as it was, as promised, quite delicious. The gruff looking Mr. Mime that served them, who went by Old Mimey, had a hard exterior but a kind heart. And phenomenal cooking skills. Joe, his Trainer, wasn't around, which Alex preferred. According to Old Mimey, he wasn't the biggest fan of the Dragon Empire, its ruler, or governments in general, but Old Mimey had refused to charge them full price, claiming he'd heard of Alex's exploits not from humans, but from Pokémon. As a rule, he trusted them more.

"...and then they essentially convinced me to catch hundreds of Pokémon." Alex said between bites. "Even Tao was on board."

Jess just stared at him. "That's…a lot of mouths to feed, Alex."

He waved a hand. "Berries grow faster than we consume them. And if that changes, our Grass Types can handle it. But you're right. And even if I could…somehow psychically duplicate myself, there's simply no physical way to fairly train and keep hundreds of Pokémon at once. The way this will work, the only way this will work, is if it's a…family effort. One Trainer is eventually going to hit a limit with how many Pokémon they can competently care for at once. But several Trainers…ones we can trust? That's more feasible. Especially if we want to make this global. We can't realistically expect wild-but-Trained Pokémon to be able to always get our help and attention in time to save lives or stop disasters. There will need to be Humans nearby, and ready to help them."

Jess just smirked at him as she ran her tongue around her Casteliacone. "Mm. So now you're dragging me into your desire to 'catch'em all'?"

Alex shrugged. "Aside from Eric, you're my immediate family. The only one I'd trust with something like this, since my parents are pretty bad with Pokémon. Eric can train them, but he's too busy with the lab for something like this. There are a few cousins with…potential, but for now, it's you and me." That made the couple smile and get lost in the other's gaze for a long moment.

About halfway through that moment, Old Mimey mimed turning up the volume on the truly ancient classic-style television mounted above the service counter, and the seating area. "You'll wanna see this." He rumbled, as he prepared a basket of breaded strips of meat for them. Alex and Jess shared a look, before listening in properly, as the newswoman reappeared on the screen.

"Welcome back. If you're joining us now, the Pokémon Leagues just announced that the latest World Tournament is officially beginning. Now we will see something momentous, as Ash Ketchum defends his title for the tenth time since the four-year rotation was implemented. Will he achieve an unheard-of streak of ten title successful title defenses against the world's strongest Trainers? Or will his legacy end, as another rises?" Alex blinked, as he sensed most of his Pokémon perk up from their naps and training within their balls to listen in as well. There was excitement building too, from Blaze, Canis, and then so many others he couldn't differentiate. To say they had all been excited for the start of this round of the World Tournament was an understatement.

"That's right, Rachel." Her male coworker said, though in that moment Alex blanked on his name. He didn't have much time for PNN, or MSPBC in this case, these days, but he recalled this gentleman in particular had his own talk segment, and was generally a straight shooter, even if his attempts at reciting Rap lyrics in a monotone were a bit cringey. After Arc News lowered the journalistic bar so far into the dirt it was subterranean, pretty much anyone could rise above it. All one really had to do was report on real, actual events without drowning them with bias or shameless context-hiding edits. "More Pokémon Trainers than ever before have signed up this time, and our network-based poll shows many Trainers citing the lack of a four Move limit as the reason. However, this surge in registration has also led to a change in structure."

The screen shifted then, showing a pyramid of the usual classes expected from the World Tournament that had been in use since Leon dethroned Lance. Alex chuckled, as he saw the top of it. "As you can see," The man continued, "The Masters Eight have been expanded, to the Superior Sixteen. Just straight up doubling the amount of top tier Trainers we can hope to see in the final stages of this tournament."

"That's not all that's new, though." The short haired woman, Rachel, apparently, said chiming in. "Currently the Superior Sixteen slots are empty. With World Champion Ash Ketchum being the exception, everyone else, be they Champions or Chairmans, will start at the Normal Class. Some Champions have already ascended to the Ultra Class, though it seems like our own Champion here in the Capital hasn't actually registered his team yet."

The man chuckled, "Well, I'm sure the Dragon Emperor is busy with other, arguably more important things, like his promise to make homes for the people who need them, or, in this case, homes for species of Pokémon we haven't seen for centuries in Unova." The screen shifted to a view of the Desert Resort then, as seen from above. Lines of green crossed the sandy expanse where Alex had carved a river through the desert. "Scientists are still marveling at how quickly the Desert Resort is bouncing back from being a desert, and how the local Pokémon are adapting to these new sources of water. I'm sure the Victory League's Champion will be registering soo-" As the mental voices in his head started chiming in on their current desire to register, immediately, Alex gave in.

Jess didn't hear the rest of what the news man said, as Alex had bamfed himself to the nearby Pokémon Center after sharing a look with her. She was also able to hear the clamor in his head, when they got loud enough. Amused, as she'd pre-registered months in advance, Jess started counting the seconds as the two newscasters continued to discuss the tournament. There were far less limits this time, not just on moves, but also on Mega Evolution, Dynamaxing, Terrastalizing, and even Z Moves. Each one could be used as often as a Trainer and Pokémon could safely manage to wield them, and they'd even allowed for as yet unpopular or undiscovered power-up gimmicks. The brackets had also increased in size. "Past World Tournaments like the Coronation Series have allowed only two thousand one hundred and six Trainers in their rankings. Reportedly, after much arguing with the other Leagues by Chairman Leon, they've agreed to rank every single participant this time. Sixteen at the top, five hundred in the Ultra Class, five thousand in the Great Class, and the Normal Class will be where everyone else is. Each bracket has seen a significant increase in size, likely due to the surge in the number of registered Trainers between World Tournaments."

"That's right, Rachel." The man continued, "There truly are less limits this time around, from Moves to the number of participating Trainers, but the most restrictive rule has to be the one on item usage. Apparently, in the interest of time, Trainers will only get one Potion per Battle, for teams of, potentially, up to ten Pokémon and the only held items allowed are those that pertain to further empowering the Pokémon holding them, like Plates or Mega Stones."

"It's going to be important to know when to use that Potion, and I'm sure having access to entire Move pools is going to more than make up for a lack of clever held items." She said, nodding in agreement. "I have a feeling Plates will be even harder to find, before long." Then, she held her ear, and smiled at the camera. "Folks, we've been keeping an eye out for famous participants, and it seems Champion Redwood must've heard you Ari, because he apparently just Teleported into Castelia's Pokémon Center, to register for this very tournament. Our reporters on the ground are going to try to get a statement."

Jess just nodded to herself. Two minutes wasn't bad. Alex appeared on the screen then, which was very obviously streaming from a moving camera. Twenty-eight Pokéballs levitated onto the nurse's tray, but late entries were always possible, so long as they also got checkups, and cleared for battle.

"Champion Redwood!" The reporter, who was out of frame, said as she opted to use his League title. "Do you have time for some questions?"

Alex glanced at where the nurse had gone. Nurse Joy was already halfway through evaluating his team's health, and he smirked at the reporter. "Looks like you have time for two."

"What do you hope to achieve by registering for this tournament?"

Alex arched an eyebrow. "I intend to win. To be the World's strongest Trainer."

"Do you think you can take on Ash Ketchum, and end his streak in your first attempt at the World Tournament?"

Alex looked down and pondered for a moment before answering. "I've actually met him. In the flesh…he reminded me of Red, who I'm sure is also getting stronger as we speak." He smirked again, then. "But I've sparred with Red. We used to be somewhat even, with the exception being his Mewtwo. I can put on a good Battle, at least. Assuming I get that far. As far as beating him goes…if I've learned anything after watching him Battle in nine tournaments against the world's best Trainers, it's that Ash Ketchum cannot be predicted. I'll have to adapt as quickly as he does, if I intend to win."

The Audino nurse came back out with his Pokéballs then, and Alex levitated them back onto his cloak. "Looks like our time is up. I do have to get back, I just learned registration was finally open, and my team urged me to Teleport here."

The reporter spoke again then. "One more question?"

Alex chuckled and nodded. "Last one. Shoot."

"Assuming you don't win or are knocked out before facing Ash, what place would you want to be in?"

"Second." Alex said, with no hesitation. "But I'll probably have to Battle with Chairman Leon for that spot, if the past is prologue. I look forward to it." He gave a two fingered wave then and Teleported away. Jess smirked, as he appeared in the booth, but standing on it. He maneuvered his stupidly long legs back under the table, then. "Someday, we're going to have a meal that doesn't involve me bamfing away in the middle of it."

Jess reassured him that she didn't mind, as she found his antics amusing when they ended up on TV, and the rest of the meal went uninterrupted, as they took in the rest of the news, once they cut away from the reporter. "The World Tournament isn't the only thing happening soon folks, as with the sheer number of Trainers coming from all corners of the planet for the World Tournament, it seems the Pokémon Contest owners of Kalos, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova's own Pokéstar Studios have come together to create what they're calling the World Festival. It will run in tandem with the World Tournament, on the same four-year cycle. No word yet on how they plan to manage the schedules of those who want to participate in the World Tournament, and also in Pokémon Contests."

Alex glanced at Jess, as he sensed her own team having a psychic discussion. "Will you be going for that title instead?"

Jess stared him down, and he sensed he was on thin ice by the tone in her words. "Do you think I'm not going to win the World Tournament?"

He smirked. "I think you'll get pretty far…but I've seen you perform. Even if it was by video. You outclassed Serena. You should go for it. An Articuno would dazzle them, and there's no reason to restrict Legendary Pokémon from performing."

Jess shook her head, looking away, as she always did when he brought this up. "Serena wasn't at her best, and I got lucky."

Alex smirked wider. "All the more reason to have a proper contest with her on a world stage, no?"

Jess sighed, as more voices in her head made the argument for participating better than he was. "I'll think about it." She said with finality, though not entirely to Alex.

They Teleported back to the Palace of Ideals then, which by this point, was now properly furnished once more, in its entirety, and not all that far off from how it had looked in ancient times. This was mainly thanks to the Sages, and the Scales who had pushed for more color in their stone fortress. The lower chambers were typically where Scales let their Pokémon out to mingle, as all there were expected to be behaved enough to coexist in a peaceful manner. Alex and Jess let their teams out with the others, before retiring to their room for their own nightly routine.

Jess switched things up on him though, and he was the one falling asleep first, for once, as the strain of being awake for so long, amongst other things, sent him into a deep slumber. For once, he woke up that morning though, despite the energy he'd spent, still feeling drained, but glad he was awake, and not losing more days to unconsciousness. They joined the other Scales rooming at the palace for breakfast and daily briefings. Once they were properly stuffed, Alex glanced at the TV in the room. "Looks like there's a crowd in Castelia Park that's Battling with World Tournament rules. Should we join them?"

Jess eyed him. "In that outfit, you'll be mobbed before you ever call out a Pokémon. If we dress like average Trainers, we should be able to go incognito."

Within ten minutes, they were strolling up Narrow Street in fresher clothes more in line with what modern Trainers were wearing. For his part, Alex had, for the first time in years now that he thought about it, gone back to the dark brown, black, and green jacket, with the deep brown and green colored Trainer hat that was apparently out of style now. It had been based off of N's, but he didn't see the point in buying a new one that was probably based on his usual hat. To his fashion ignorant eye, he didn't really see the difference, but Jess insisted they were different enough to warrant their own lines of merch. Being not far from the Join Boulevard, he got to compare his, Hilbert's, and N's hats from advertisements and found them all to basically be identical. The copies of his own being sold were essentially just a white and black version of N's, which was more black than white. He kept the wide brim down over his eyes and in short order, he and Jess both found opponents.

His own opponent was clearly a new Trainer, a teenage girl by the look of her, in that awkward stage between being a child and being a woman. His eyes saw her as closer to a woman, but as a rule he kept his thoughts from turning lewd in regard to those he battled, with Jess being the exception. She called out a Pignite, as the Drone Rotom announced their one-on-one Normal Rank match, and by request, kept his name hidden, if not his Trainer ID number.

As he drew his own pick, Kalagon, the Trainer shouted at him from across the field. "Why so secretive? What am I supposed to call you?"

Alex smirked from under the hat brim, as he saw what the Rotom had classed him as. "I'm an Ace Trainer, I like to think. Let's go with Ace." The smirk grew slightly, as the Drone Rotom added that in as his name, on the displayed Trainer info. For Champions, and people who didn't want their information broadcasted on giant holo screens for all to see, Drone Rotom were allowed to make edits on the fly to suit the Trainer in question, provided they were registered, and had their Trainer Card. He sent out Kalagon then, who spied a bug on the ground, and started following it.

The teen laughed. "Oh yea. Real pro, right here. Pignite! Send this noob back to the Pokémon Center! Arm Thrust!"

"Kalagon." The Gible snapped up the old Earth beetle and stood at attention. "The name of the game today, is dodging." The Gible grinned and took his ready position with his tiny baby dragon arms stretched wide as the slow fire pig charged, his fists limned with fighting energy. "I like dodge."

"Good." Alex said with a smirk. "Dodge with Dig!"

Kalagon munched his way under the Pignite as the Arm Thrusts reached out, but he was already safely out of danger. "Pignite! Double Team!" The field filled with copies of the fire pig, and Alex could tell Kalagon didn't sense the real one.

He linked their minds. "Focus. Feel the vibrations of the real clone through the earth." He waited, as Kalagon made his best guess, based on vibration alone, and leapt up, only to smash through a copy that vanished upon being hit.

As the Dig sent the baby land shark up in a vertical sandy Shoryuken, the Pignites below it made their next move. "Rollout!"

With their minds as one, Alex guided Kalagon, showing him where to land. They'd only have a few seconds to counter, but that's all they'd need. "Hit the ground hard! Bulldoze!" Kalagon came in like a tiny scaly rocket, and smashed into the ground, before stomping his tiny feet on it. The resulting shockwaves through the earth broke through the Rollout, and the clones, knocking the Pignite on its rear. "Now, finish it with Sand Tomb." Alex said, and as Kalagon raised his tiny arms to summon the sand tornado, the move connected and was enough to faint the similarly leveled Pignite.

The next two battles were against Bug Trainers, clearly emulating Burgh, but Kalagon's dodging practice and Rock Tomb made short work of the Venipede they were using. It was around that time that Alex found Jess battling with her Buneary against a Trainer with a Zweilous. The twin headed dark dragon simply outclassed Lapi, which was what Jess had named her. She'd already taken down one of his Pokémon, but now the fresh Zweilous evened the score. His Trainer seemed to be a member of Nate's gym, going by his Gi, which made him an aspiring Dragon Tamer. As he sensed his fiancé's next pick, Alex chuckled quietly to himself. The confident Gym Trainer was about to learn the same harsh lesson that all Dragon Tamers did, eventually.

On the night he'd proposed to Jess, a tiny red flowered Flabébé had appeared after overhearing them and showered them with flower petals. Jess had then, with some translation assistance, convinced her to join her team. Now a Floette, at least until she learned Petal Dance, Flora was more than a match for the twin headed dragon with a quadruple weakness to fairy moves. There weren't many fairy types in the capital region though, and the Trainer showed his youth by not recognizing, or respecting the power sleeping in the tiny grass fairy.

"You expect that thing to beat my Zweilous? Pfft. Dragon Rage!" Only one head of the Zweilous attacked, while the other, and presumably the smarter of the pair, did recognize the Floette for what she was, if not by sight or scent then by the essence of the power she wielded, the instinctual fear born from a quadruple weakness to such energy. She'd been training and wearing the Exp. Share harness for a while, and the results were about to show.

Flora didn't even bother dodging the attack and made a show of twirling through the dragonfire without so much as a burn, though she did give the puzzled head of the dark dragon a sudden and menacing grin when his flames faded, at which point Jess gave the order. "Moonblast."

In the fading sunlight, a facsimile of the moon appeared above the Floette, and the resulting beam of energy reminded him of Astrum's, as it OHKO'd the Zweilous with an explosion of pink, sparkling energy discharged by the 'moon'. The Dragon Tamer's face was priceless as his prized starter dragon landed before him on his back, unconscious, and the Drone Rotom called the match.

Alex glanced at her ranking, and frowned, as he found she was higher up in the Normal class than he was. "I was sure I'd be ahead of you…we had more Battles."

Jess smirked at him as Flora floated over and began once more showering the pair with red petals. He gave her tiny head a careful pat, as Jess spoke. "The higher quality Trainer you Battle, the faster you rise. A few Bug Catchers aren't going to do it. In fact…I think they're rated the easiest."

"Then how about someone who can offer you a more substantive test…Dragon Emperor."

As the voice came from behind them, and with the show Flora had made showering the pair, pretty much every Trainer around them in the crowded park both heard the man's loud proclamation, and what he called Alex. For his part, Alex sighed. "Seems we've been discovered." Jess nodded with a similar slightly disappointed look on her face, but the Meowth was out of the bag now. She adjusted her hat, so it sat properly on her head, the way it was designed to, but Alex just tossed his up into the air. The eyes around him followed it, but when they looked back at him as he caught and re-donned it, he was once more wearing the now somewhat iconic dragonbone pauldrons, with his cloak hanging down around him. It was at this point he finally saw his opponent properly.

"Professor Colress…interesting. I didn't think I'd find a man like you, out here."

"And why not!?" Colress shouted again, gaining even more eyes. "I've been studying how Trainers pull the potential from their partners for decades, but you, young Redwood…you have done so faster and I daresay more effectively than most other Trainers I've met, at your level." He raised a Luxury Ball recolored in the colors of its occupant. "After I win, we need to speak, Dragon Emperor."

Alex nodded, correctly guessing Colress was here on Pegasus business, more than personal research or ambition to win the World Tournament. "Alright then. Battle first, business after. Let's hope you give me more points than my last few opponents."

Colress grinned. "I'll have you know Professors are classed highly, because we usually don't have time to Battle. And we're quite clever, as a rule." The rank of said opponent also factored in how much a victory would give, and it seemed Colress was telling the truth, his own rank was in the top thousand of the Normal class. He threw a ball then, and a Magnezone appeared hovering above the field. Alex responded not with Blaze, who would've given them both a type advantage, but with someone who was itching for a battle even more than his fire lizard, which was unusual for him. Hydrus appeared on the field and roared as he smashed it hard enough to make the ground in the park area shudder. Colress blanched. "That Swampert seems…"

"Pent up." Alex interrupted. "It's been far too long since he's thrashed a strong opponent." The fact that he was essentially a perfect counter to Magnezone was another reason Alex had picked him. Electricity would do nothing, and he resisted steel moves, making Colress' same type attack bonus essentially worth nothing. Without Magnet Rise, Magnezone was an easy target for Hydrus.

The Drone Rotom from his previous battle appeared then, this time displaying the Dragon Emperor's stats for all to see. Alex glanced at his win to loss ratio, now that it wasn't hidden, and did a double take. His total losses were above fifty but weren't even close to breaking out of the double digits, while his wins were up to four digits, almost pushing five. As Trainers went, it was an impressive ratio. He and Hydrus smirked simultaneously. They were about to increase that number just a bit more. "This is a Normal Class World Tournament Battle! Both Trainers will use two Pokémon! The first Pokémon on both sides has been selected. Begin!"

Alex didn't wait, as he knew Hydrus was like a coiled spring. He held up his Key Stone, and the Splash Plate affixed to his Swampert reacted to it. It was, essentially, the ideal moment to try something Hydrus had been perfecting. "Hydrus! Swampquake Surge!" Hydrus raised his arms, and as he shifted to his Mega Form, they became thicc, burly, and devastatingly powerful. He brought his fists down hard, shattering the entire battlefield, within the lines of the field and no further. The earth surged rapidly as Colress did indeed go for a Magnet Rise, but the ground energy filled rocks still smashed into Magnezone, followed by a torrential surge of truly foul, swampy water that jetted up from the cracks in the earth. The quake almost fainted Magnezone, but the water in addition to the earth brought it to unconsciousness. Or it would have, were it not for the inherent and infuriating sturdiness of Magnezone's species line.

Panting hard from unleashing that much energy following Mega Evolution all at once, Hydrus needed a minute, which was Magnezone's time to counter. Unable to use anything resembling a grass move, Colress opted for a condition instead. "While he's immobile! Supersonic!"

Hydrus's head fins shuddered as the supersonic waves scrambled his mind and the confusion took effect. "Hydrus!" Alex shouted, loudly, making his fins stiffen at the sound of his name. "C.T.C. Clear the confusion." Hydrus blinked slowly, nodded, and then slammed his skull into the ground. He gave the Magnezone a dark grin as he raised his slightly damaged head. "Now Karate Chop!"

While not usually a move Swampert grasped, Hydrus had learned to focus his fighting energy with Hammer Arm into the edge of his hands, not at all unlike a Gallade and their sword arms. Having Infinity Energy powering him, and a pretty wide arm, also helped with the focus required for Brick Break to work. He leapt across the field before the heavily damaged Magnezone processed that he'd moved. The move struck home as the wide edge of the Mega Swampert's arm came down on the Magnezone's main eye, smashing it rather hard into the ground from the force of the blow.

The Mega Swampert leapt back to his spot and roared. When Colress didn't immediately summon another Pokémon, he started rhythmically pounding the ground, and Alex called the move as the first raindrops fell. "That's the way. Rain Dance!"

Colress frowned, and then made his choice. He spoke as he drew his ball, and Alex let him. Every second only made Hydrus faster. "You know, I wouldn't have this one, were it not for you. It was in that secret base you found beneath the Palace of Truths, along with your Riolu and Mewtwo. I was deemed capable of caring for it, and since I'm responsible for the data that led to its existence in this era…it's only right that I Train it! Genesect!"

Hydrus tensed, as did his Trainer, as Colress brought out the mythical revived bug. It was an impressive crimson color that gleamed as it appeared, and Alex spied a Burn Drive loaded into it. Not only was it strong, but it had the capacity and the means to wield grass energy, something the rest of Colress's team pretty much lacked. Before it could do anything though, the Drone Rotom beeped. "A Mythical Pokémon has been detected. Please use non-Legendary or Mythical classed Pokémon." It said to Colress.

Alex spoke up, then. "Genesect is a revived, and slightly modified, Fossil Pokémon. We may classify it as Mythical, but right now, Hydrus is actually stronger, were we to compare their stats. I say let it Battle. Just my two Pokécents."

The Drone Rotom beeped, as it processed his words. Then, about a minute later, its eyes opened again. "The Pokémon Genesect has been given special permission to compete, due to its unique circumstances. Other exceptions have been made for the following Mythical Class Pokémon: Shaymin, Meltan, Melmetal, Zarude, Zeraora, Magearna, Marshadow, as well as Keldeo and the Swords of Justice, should they wish to Battle." The Drone Rotom floated back to the referee spot, then. "The second round will be Mega Swampert versus Genesect! Begin!"

This time, Colress didn't hesitate. "Energy Ball!"

"Ice Punch."

Hydrus smashed through the sphere of grass energy with ease, but Colress didn't let up. "Electroweb!"

Alex smirked. "Electricity won't work on Hydrus."

Colress smirked back at him. "We weren't aiming for him."

A massive web of electricity spewed from the red Genesect's mouth, surrounding Hydrus, and latching onto the field around him. Plasma was still tangible, and it forced the burly mudfish to crouch, without damaging him. Hydrus just curled into a sphere, watching his opponent, and waiting for the counter as he was unaffected by the move. Colress spoke first though. "Now Solar Beam!"

Alex frowned, as he calculated their next move, while the Genesect charged. After mastering Ice Punch, Hydrus had wanted to expand his arsenal, to fire and thunder as well. Electric energy was beyond his use though, thanks to his typing, but he'd been working on fire. Being resistant to it also helped. "Hydrus. Dig." The Mega Swampert did so immediately, diving through the ground as easily as he did water. The Electroweb deflated, and Alex chuckled, as it flopped in the breeze.

"Genesect." Colress said, typing into his arm gauntlet. "Hold your fire until you see the Swampert's eyes." The steel bug made a noise in response that Alex didn't comprehend. It sounded like an affirmative, though.

Alex smirked, and gave the next order, once Hydrus was in position. "Now!"

From directly under the Genesect, and out of every one of its sight lines, came Hydrus, headfirst as he hammered the bug with one of the few types it didn't resist. Alex followed up then, as Colress had. "Fire Punch!"

Hydrus breathed deep, taking in the cooling air of the oncoming wintry night, heating it within himself, and then manifesting that heat around his fist, as Blaze had shown him. A small ball of orange appeared in front of his knuckle, before it burned up his burly arm. Hydrus landed the quadruple-effective hit, which caused the Genesect to crash to the ground before Hydrus did.

The Genesect was still conscious, as expected of a Pokémon classified as Mythical, but Alex didn't hesitate long enough to let it recover. "Finish it. Earthquake."

Hydrus smashed down with his other fist as he landed, sending a focused line of broken ground at the downed steel bug. That, ended what fight it had left with an earthy explosion. The Drone Rotom called the match, and Alex watched their respective ranks. Colress had actually been doing pretty well, in the top thousand of the Normal Class but being beaten by someone as newly registered, and therefore low ranked, as Alex made his numbers drop dramatically. For his part, Alex's rank shifted from four digits, to three. Then it just kept going. When they stopped, he was in the top eight hundred. He was no math genius, but he figured wild changes in ranking were probably pretty common in the Normal Class, given how massive it was. It also meant losing wasn't impossible to come back from.

Colress approached him, as he recalled his partner. "Flattened, rolled up, and tossed aside. You Battle like Red."

Alex smirked. "I like to think it's a combo of Red and Leon, but I'll take the compliment." His voice lowered then, but only Colress heard it, despite all the eyes on them now. "You wished to speak about the Moon, yes?" Colress nodded, more than glad for subtle communication. "I heard. I'll be up there soon. I have another interrogation I need to see to, and it may prove useful for who you have up there."

Colress stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I'll meet you up there, then. Today."

"Today." Alex said, with a nod, and then suddenly Colress vanished in a bright flash of light. Given his deeds and reputation, Colress had earned a respectable sphere of space, wherever he appeared in public. Once he was gone, the lingering reporters that had crawled out of the woodwork as the battle had progressed now surged towards Alex, with a horde of microphones, some of which had Rotom inside them. Colress leaving was like a timer going off, as the swarm of news hounds all started chattering at once.

Alex threw up an actual Barrier until the flashing lights ceased, and then lowered it suddenly, following that with words. "I can't understand you people if you all talk at once. For the love of Arceus, one. At. A. Time."

What sounded like a younger reporter with a lighter male tone spoke up from somewhere behind the throng in front of Alex. "What do we do if we want a statement from you, then?" Some people laughed, as did Alex.

"What do you think we should do?" Following his words, a small framed but fierce eyed reporter bearing PNN's logo in the front row of eagerly outstretched arms raised her free hand, like she was in a classroom, and Alex smirked as he pointed at her. "She gets it. Go ahead."

The woman wasted no time, shooting off three questions rapidly, before he even had time to answer them. "Was that an Ultimate Move you just used? Did you personally make that new exception for Mythical Pokémon? And can you do something about this rain your Swampert caused?"

Alex's smirk widened. He'd largely refrained from feats of supernatural power, at least when surrounded by so many obvious cameras, and naturally some people, reporters included, were skeptical he could live up to the hype. Other reporters knew being the one to give information on the Dragon Emperor's power set would mean a boost for their careers. Regardless of her reasons, a desire for a demonstration, career advancement, or the dislike of wet clothing, Alex obliged her, tilted his head up at the sky, and shouted a pair of Words. They cracked like thunder as he used his Voice. "Shun Lok!"

The storm clouds vanished in a large, circular explosion of force leaving only the brilliant blue sky above them. Any lingering or pollution from New Tork City also vanished, giving its denizens a rare, perfectly clear look at the heavens. It was one of those clear days where one could see the Moon in the daytime. Alex looked back at the woman. "Yes, that was an Ultimate Move. Hydrus has been working on it. In fact…most of my team has been experimenting. You may see some Moves you don't recognize…but there's no limit on them, in this tournament as I understand the rules." He donned his armor then, as he answered her second query. "I didn't make the exception. I suspect the Drone Rotom forwarded my request to the League, since I'm a Regional Leader, and the League agreed to make allowances. Many of those Mythicals mentioned have already competed in tournaments, and our own Elite Four has a Marshadow in its ranks. Mega Forms are capable of matching Mythical Pokémon, and everyone in the later stages of this tournament will probably be using primarily Infinity Energy to Battle with, but Dynamaxing and other boosts can likely make a match more even too. There's no reason to exclude all of them. Obviously, Mew is too powerful, and I'm not sure about the Swords of Justice, they might be too strong as well, but I can understand why the Victory League allowed them in, should they find a worthy Human. Now if you'll excuse me…I have business."

He looked over at Jess, who nodded at him. She knew where he was off to and was more than content to raise her rank even higher ahead of his. Being that she was in the two hundreds, her current battle would probably get her into the Great Class. Alex nodded at her, and left her to it, before bamfing away.

Lumiose City Police Department - Kalos Region

The day was winding down at the LCPD at the late hour of four in the afternoon, when the remaining officers in the building were treated to a regional authority Teleporting into their midst like a Twister. Within a few moments, as they confirmed who he was, he was led to the cell of Gabriel Agreste, the apparent identity of Monarch, or Dark Moth, or whatever he was calling himself after being beaten thoroughly.

Alex frowned at the man, as they locked eyes. He didn't need psychic power to see the desperation in the man's eyes, but the more Alex looked at him, the more he disliked. The haughty air, the ridiculously expensive brand clothing, he reminded Alex far too much of many Arcean officers that had run their blitz from the safety of Fornia, behind their hordes of murderous (and typically poorer class) Crusaders, or the attendees at his neighbor's First Eve party. Dark Moth was a rich snob that had overreached and paid for it. He looked for mercy in the now helmet-covered eyes of what could only be the Dragon Emperor, the man who was apparently responsible for keeping him here, instead of being moved to a Prison.

"So. You're Dark Moth, eh? I believe it. I knew someone with that kind of aesthetic had to be some rich snob, and lo, here you are."

"Having money doesn't hurt, Dragon Emperor." Came a teenaged, but familiar voice from the shadows before the broken villain uttered a word. Night Cat prowled out next to him, and Alex gave his claw a firm shake, and he nodded in respect.

"Night Cat. Money is a great slave, but a terrible master. The most competent and dangerous masters are those that make you believe you are master over them." He could see his wisdom flowing in one ear and out the other. The blank stare of a teen came over his face, so Alex continued. "I didn't expect to see you here. Have you and Ledi Girl considered my offer?"

The lightly furred face of the hybrid of man and Pokémon smirked. "We have. We'll help you defend Kalos, and beyond, but uhh…we're keeping our 'uniforms'."

Alex waved a hand. "Consider them kept. You two will have the same freedom you always did, all that will change…is the quality of your extra gear, and the number of Humans and Pokémon ready to help you, should things get to be too much. Just tell the Scale Quartermaster at the army base that the Emperor has given leave to outfit you two with whatever you think you'll need."

"That's…so generous." Night Cat said, sounding genuinely awed that Unova had basically just agreed to upgrade them. "We were actually hoping that uhh…we could join the Emperor's Scales. Under you, specifically. As your uhh…trainees? Padawans? Nobody could give me a clear answer on what you're calling the…newer Scales."

"Apprentice will suffice, until they decide on a moniker themselves." Alex answered with a sagely nod. He paused then, eyeing the young hero. "I hadn't even considered taking on apprentices…although I guess I technically have two already. Rick and Drake…they're more than capable as Scales, though. I saw your team, and your Lady's. They could use some work, but there's promise there." He pondered another moment, but it was for show. "Alright, Night Cat. You and Ledi Girl will…learn some new tricks, before I leave you to operate on your own again. In fact…" Alex looked around. "Is she here now? I have some uhh…global ties I need to meet with after this, people you two should probably meet."

Night Cat shook his blonde head. "I'm on my own, for this…" He finally looked at Dark Moth, who'd grown quiet since the dark themed superhero appeared. "There's something you should know, if we're going to be working together." He dropped his fusion then, and his shiny Liepard looked up at him with worry. He looked largely the same, still blonde, and classically handsome, for a teenager. "I am Adrien Agreste. Dark Moth is…he's my…"

He struggled to say the words, and Alex put a surprisingly large hand on the teen's shoulder. "I understand. I'm impressed you came here. Most people would run."

Adrien shook his head. "I can't run from this. My Father has to answer for his crimes…I was going to watch whoever interrogated him. Then you showed up. Honestly…I'm just here for answers."

Alex gestured to the imprisoned aristocrat, and Adrien approached the bars with Plagg. "I don't want excuses, Father. I just want to know why…"

Gabriel looked up at his son, and the look in his eyes finally broke him. "Your mother. The Witch promised she could bring her back to me. Everything I did…was to get her back."

"But she's gone!" Adrien retorted angrily. "She's been gone…and ever since she left us, so have you. More reclusive, more isolated. Now I know what was taking up your time. You need to let her go, Father."

Gabriel shook his head, and some of the mania that had driven him to Shadow came through the mask he usually hid it with. "But I've seen one, Adrien! A real, living, breathing, revived Human being! Resurrected, in all capacities! It's possible…it has to be."

At this point, Alex chimed in. He could guess what revived human the criminal had seen. "What you saw was a perversion of Nature. An abomination fueled by Shadow, and the will of the one who brought them back." He leaned in close to the bars then, and Gabriel's ears instinctively fell back, before the steel in those intense blue eyes, that seemed to be on fire as they bore through him. "Where did the Witch and the talking corpse go, exactly?"

Gabriel shook his head, speaking before he even realized what he was saying. "I was not told. They whispered something about one of the Successor's Pokémon being imprisoned in an Imperium complex, but they have complexes all over the world."

Alex sighed. "Did they mention which Pokémon he was after?"

Gabriel shook his head again. "Not by name, but he seemed to think acquiring this Pokémon would allow them to avoid the Imperium and whoever else was chasing after them. He claimed it was utterly traceless. You'll be hard pressed to find him if he acquired it already."

Alex began mentally eliminating which Pokémon could possibly move a pair of humans around fast enough to avoid two continent spanning superpowers. His team took over sorting the list, as Gabriel Agreste made his case. "In return for my…cooperation, Dragon Emperor, I hope you will show me leniency."

"Perhaps." Alex answered in a tone that suggested leniency was unlikely. "If your information is legitimate, we will consider better accommodations, but not a shorter sentence."

Gabriel gave him a pained, awkward smile. "How long do you think the sentence will be?"

Alex shrugged. "I'm not your Judge, but given that your actions injured and killed people, multiple times, not to mention possession of multiple Shadow Pokémon, I would prepare for a lifelong incarceration." He looked at Night Cat then. "I'll wait outside for you. Give you a minute in here."

Night Cat nodded, and faced his father, while outside the cell area, most of the police department was empty. Alex retracted the helmet and most of his armor as he looked around with a slight frown. A new shift was hopefully coming in, but they didn't arrive before Night Cat had said what he needed to. He emerged once more fused with his Liepard. "I called Ledi Girl. She'll meet us outside."

Outside ended up being the roof of the police building, and sure enough, within a few minutes, Ledi Girl came in fast, thwipping away both to speed up, and slow her momentum. "Dragon Emperor." She said with a casual curtsy. "I take it Night Cat has explained what we want?"

"To be my apprentices? Sort of. We had other business inside; I'd like to hear what you had in mind."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Apprentice? Wha- no, I, I mean I- we would be honored to learn from the Dragon Emperor himself, but surely you're too busy right? I was more hoping for some uhh, tricks or something, to help us keep the peace. Maybe some related to wielding the Light-"

At that moment, another figure joined them on the conspicuous roof, one all three of them recognized. Connor smirked at Alex as they clasped arms. "Redwood. Trying to steal my student now, in addition to my sister?" His tone seemed jovial, but Alex sensed his true feelings about the situation beneath the facade.

"Not at all." Alex said nonchalantly. "Night Cat and Ledi Girl here want to learn from me, so we're going over the logistics of them joining the Scales and being…apprentices."

"Oh…" Connor said quietly. The silence dragged on, and then finally Alex spoke again once the two teens had time to look between both of them.

"You know there's always a place for you as a Master within the Scales, if you want it."

Connor's eyes narrowed. "That's news to me. I thought you and my sister didn't want me in your 'elite Trainer' club."

Alex's brow furrowed, and his gaze became more intense. "I know for a fact that we've both invited you to join several times. You never got any invitation?"

Connor's anger faltered, as he could tell his longtime friend was not amused that someone had seemingly purposefully excluded the Kalos Champion from their ranks. "No, I got nothing. I trust my mail delivery, too."

Alex nodded. "This has to be on my end. Such is the Way of having an organization of individuals. Someone who doesn't like you has let their feelings cloud their judgement. You have my word, there will be an appropriate punishment. That said, the offer stands."

Again, the teenagers looked between the pair, as Connor paused in his answer. Then, finally, he nodded. "Alright. I'll join your Scales. But you should know I've already been training Night Cat here. Ledi Girl has…different skills."

Alex nodded slowly. "In that case, Night Cat will continue as your apprentice, and I'll help Ledi Girl with the Light. As much as I can, anyway. I need some backup, where I'm going. Would you two like to join?"

Connor and his official apprentice shared a look. The Kalos Champion answered him, then. "Sure, whatever the Dragon Emperor needs of us. Where are we going?"

Alex smirked. "First, to get you all the symbols of your station. Plasma swords. After that? We're going somewhere…out of this world."

Several Hours Later… - Lantea City, Luna

Though it had taken some time and paperwork, which was tricky given that Alex had to keep the teen's secret identities intact, they had eventually gotten the components for their plasma swords and constructed them after wandering through Chargestone Cave and exiting with their chosen crystal. Assembling the weapons had also taken time, but this far above the Earth, the time of day was a lot less relevant.

As they manifested from the teleport beam that brought them to the Moon based command center of the organization known as Pegasus, they were met by the smiling face of Colress, whose smile faded as he saw Alex had brought guests. "Emperor Redwood. You didn't mention you'd be bringing people with you."

Alex smirked at him, and his eyes shifted as he saw Geralt was already here, posted up against a wall behind Colress, and in between two armed men with ancient style rapid-fire projectile firearms. Like the rest of the people working in this command center, they were in gray uniforms, sporting triangular patches that seemed to indicate their job, on their chests. They also had another patch on their shoulders, one sporting the mythical creature for which the organization had been named. "One of the former leaders of Team Plasma asks me to a secret base on the Moon? Yea, that's a situation where backup is wise."

Colress frowned. Most of the world had either forgotten or forgiven his stint with Ghetsis and his cult, but it was always Unova natives that brought it up. "The thing is, now we have to swear three more people to secrecy." He smiled awkwardly at the trio. "Not that I don't trust the word of the Kalos Champion and his Region's newest young defenders…perhaps Geralt failed to mention the need for secrecy."

Alex chuckled. "Our organizations will likely be working closely together. Especially with these three. They know how to keep a secret, and I'll vouch for their word. Now take us to this prisoner of yours."

Unable to deny that, Colress gestured for the four of them to follow, and Geralt joined them as well. He started elaborating then, in his usual manner of speech, using as few words as possible, on how he and his own 'apprentice' had fought and successfully captured the Imperator's first son, Horus, after having his fleet decimated by a Lunala and her rider. Despite losing most of his forces, Horus had pressed on, only to fall to Geralt's ambush before he reached the Selenar.

Colress then elaborated on why the Imperium of Man was so determined to take the moon, or Luna, as its residents seemed to call it. "The Selenar, what's left of Luna's Old Earth inhabitants, are actually masters of genetic manipulation. The Imperator has been after their secrets for centuries at this point. The assault on Luna was supposed to shatter their defenses and conquer them with ease, but your cousin stopped them at the ideal moment, with an ambush, which frankly is the only way to take down a squad of Astartes, let alone one led by a Prime Archon, and not die."

As Colress led them through the maze of primarily gray hallways to the prison, Alex was noticing more and more that the structure of this place was not just sturdy, but to his enhanced view of the world, structurally perfect. Flawless. Like it had been printed from a pattern, or something. And it wasn't just a few hallways either, at one point the five of them passed a view of the entire complex, which in size, was as large as New Tork City, though not nearly as sprawling and chaotic. It was a little unnerving how perfect it was, leading Alex back to the same question; who exactly was responsible for building such a place?

He resolved to ask Colress later, as they finally reached the prison. It was the newly arrived quartet's first proper look at an unarmored and largely unclothed Astartes, but compared to the average Thunder Warrior, Horus was a masterwork of art, and the rank and file were child drawings by comparison. Every limb sported an absurd amount of muscle except for the limb he was now missing, his facial features were perfect, and even the beard he'd started growing in captivity was growing in with full, perfect length and coverage, with no signs of patchiness.

His hair was long and raven black like his gene-source, and he was kneeling within a small square carved into the floor, that only had a normal human sized bed within it. There was an unnervingly patient rage in his eyes as he raised his head, and a small smile cracked the handsome visage as Colress spoke. "Prime Archon Horus, first son of the Imperator, I give you Alexander Redwood, the latest Dragon Emperor. He has come to…resolve this situation."

Horus quietly processed Colress's words, and then his gaze shifted to Alex. "The young Dragon Emperor…you have a bearing similar to that of the first." Horus stood then, and his absurdly large gene-perfected muscles flexed as he effortlessly rose to his absurd height of, by Alex's guess, what had to be at least thirteen feet. "Make a smart decision, Dragon Emperor. Let me out." The energy barrier containing him flashed to life as Horus got close to it.

"So you can murder us and try to escape?" Alex said, noting the tension that had yet to leave the giant's frame. He shook his head. "No. You will be returned to your home in time, but first you need to understand what you've missed. My Empire and your Imperium are, officially, not enemies. By the word of your brother, Fulgrim, we have reached a mutual agreement of peace."

Horus laughed, a pleasant sound, but the source of the man's mirth was disturbing. "You lie. Of all of us, Fulgrim was most eager to take Kalos."

Alex nodded. "Once, perhaps, but no longer. I can get him on a Holocall if you wish to hear it from him directly."

Horus shook his head. "It matters not. My Father will never long ally with an Empire of savages. You've been fed honeyed words, young Dragon Emperor."

Alex shrugged. "Perhaps. But what I said is true; Fulgrim has agreed to cease hostilities on the Kalos border. As have I. We gave our word, on our honor, that the border would remain peaceful." He stepped closer to Horus, and levitated himself up to his eye level, as his larger frame was limned with blue aura. "Honestly, Horus, I don't want to keep fighting your Imperium. A war would only cause senseless, avoidable deaths."

Horus snorted derisively, as he saw the psyker powers. "Maybe for your side. Astartes do not fall so easily."

Alex nodded in agreement. "They don't. Not to our level of weaponry. But imagine if you will, a line of your formidable Astartes, facing a line of my Scales, people that your society would call 'Psykers'. They fire hundreds of rounds across no man's land. Do you know what happens next?"

Horus grinned, and Alex could sense his enhanced mind picturing the scene, one that had likely played out before. "Your 'Scales of Balance' fall, like wheat before the scythe. As have all barbarians before them, Psyker or otherwise."

Alex shrugged again, but inwardly, he confirmed for Tao their next potential enemy's overconfidence. "You may well be right, Horus. The result would be the end of Human lives. I prefer a world where neither side has to die."

Horus snorted again. "Enough idealistic prattle. You wish for peace? Accept the Imperial Truth and bend the knee, Redwood. Submit to my Father, return me, and you may yet have a place in the Imperium that we are creating. I will waste no more breath on this." He fell back on his massive knees then and went silent. Alex tried asking him a few questions, some simple some not, but all he got in response was silence. At that point, he led their group out of the prison.

As the door shut behind them, hiding their words from even Horus's enhanced ears, Colress looked at Alex. "That was…an interesting interrogation technique. I take it you think a confrontation between your forces would end differently?"

Alex shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. My Scales will require more than Bolter rounds to be felled, though. That much I know. He's overconfident. Much like Fulgrim, and I would assume, the rest of their brothers. Perhaps even their father. Overconfidence is good. While they underestimate our competence, we can cripple them, should things turn violent."

Colress snorted at him in disbelief, but there was a glimmer of light in his eyes as he said. "They own half the supercontinent and have designs on the other half that go back millennia. How?"

Alex smirked. "We strike where their Imperium is weakest, and let their size crush them before they even realize they're under a coordinated attack. Ideally, it won't come to that. It would be far better to adapt their infrastructure to help the planet and society like other regions have, rather than blow it up and rebuild it. Now…there was mention of another side to this conflict, right? The er…Selenar? I think we should speak with them."

As he spoke those words, every human present blinked, as suddenly, a massive psychic presence joined them. Alex shifted under his cloak, and then brought out a black and white Pokéball that was humming with power now that it was occupied. Apparently, Italia's preeminent Pokéball Professor had upgraded this one as well, though she hadn't mentioned doing so. Tao's voice thundered in their skulls. "I will join you."

In short order, Alex found himself before a large holoscreen. On it, was what appeared to be a woman, though she had been heavily modified by technology and presumably at a genetic level as well. The most obvious upgrade was the white metallic wings that spread from her back, and most of her head was covered, not unlike a nun from one of Old Earth's cults. She introduced herself as the Archetypal Head called Heliosa. "Long have we waited for a Terran to rise up against the Imperator, Dragon Emperor. Now, we can wait no longer. You seem to be the head of the remaining free regions on Terra. I invite you before the Selenar, in person, that we may discuss these matters beyond the Imperator's reach."

After thanking her for the honor, Colress ended the call. "Nobody from Pegasus has ever been called before the full Selenite council. I'll be going with you, for this. I am more familiar with them."

Alex nodded. "If I do something improper, just instruct me by thinking as loudly as you can. I'll hear you."

Colress raised an eyebrow at him. "Does that mean you can hear everyone's thoughts if they happen to think loudly?"

Alex nodded. "You would be amazed at how loudly some people think their thoughts. But I can tune them out, and I usually do so as a matter of their privacy and my sanity." Colress seemed amused, as he guided him through the base.

One short ride away via a scout craft that Pegasus called a 'puddle jumper' for some reason, the five humans were welcomed into the entrance that Horus had breached not so long ago. "It's already repaired…" Geralt remarked. Indeed, any sign of the breach and the ensuing firefight was already restored to perfection.

Before long, Cat Noir, Ledi Girl, Connor, and Geralt were guided to a high class but blandly uninteresting waiting room, while Alex and Colress continued on to the main council chamber. Where Heliosa was giving off matriarchal caretaker vibes, each of the other council members had a completely different look to them, and most were far more heavily modified by machinery and gene manipulation.

A man who had to be embodying the 'wise old man' archetype spoke first once he and Colress were in position in the center of the circular chamber. It reminded Alex of a stadium, though it was very clearly a circle. "Our thanks for coming so quickly." The 'bearded' man said. His bionic lenses shifted to Colress. "I trust you found the schematics we shared satisfactory?"

Colress nodded. "They are…though we noted the designs for a capital ship were missing."

The old man made a mechanical sound that Alex belatedly recognized as a chuckle. His 'beard' was actually white cabling that hung down his front like a long beard but seemed to connect elsewhere on his person beneath his flowing gray robes. "Your Dragon Emperor already possesses a capable flagship. What we have provided to you will help it more than match our own designs."

Alex and Colress shared a look, but they both nodded. Colress pushed his glasses up. "I understand. Now then…the council wished to speak with my royal friend here…?"

Heliosa nodded, once more taking over the conversation. "You see, Dragon Emperor, we have among us a skilled psychic, like yourself, who we saved from Terra, along with her compatriots. In return for our aid, she has used her abilities of Future Sight to help guide our future. There seems to be two paths before us. In the Imperator's, we will survive yes, but in name only, a footnote in a millennium of strife, yet more pawns for the Imperator to spend with no consequence. The other path used to be clouded, as the future can sometimes be, but it is clear to our Psyker now that you, Alexander Redwood, will play a larger part in the events to come than we estimated previously. These paths, we have decided, are worth pursuing."

Alex arched an eyebrow. "And how do you intend to pursue them?"

"An alliance." Heliosa stated plainly. "As you and your Dragon have all but appointed competent defenders of Terra and its regions, we would have you be the Warden of the Earth Sphere." At that point, a Magnemite popped up beside her. "As a symbol of our alliance, we freely offer this little one, for your endeavors in Battle, and beyond." The Magnemite floated down to Alex then, and Colress examined its stats, eyes widening as he invoked Arceus and read the numbers. The Selenar had somehow created the ideal Magnemite, through artificial means, but its nature did at least seem to naturally be modest.

"Thank you…" Alex said, locking eye with the magnetic Pokémon as it greeted him and gave him its name in a polite robotic fashion. "I'll take good care of…Magnus, here."

The 'bearded' man's eyes went wide. "So, you can speak with them…you can name him something else, if you like. Given how special he is though, I went with Magnus when he, urm…hatched."

Alex stared at the old man for a long moment, and then at his newest partner. There were many theories about Magnemite's line. Particularly Magnezone and Magneton, and who exactly they were communicating with in space. "As far as I can tell, he's a Pokémon…right?"

The old man nodded. "Very much so. Like every other Magnemite, though admittedly, with far superior abilities. May he serve you well as you…heh…bring the thunder."

Alex recalled the floating sentient magnet into his Luxury Ball and set him on his cloak. Both speaking to Pokémon like Magnemite and introducing them into the mental web way his team had going on was tricky, but he sensed Arthur sorting it out, as he always did. Even though his Gallade felt quite far away, it seemed their bonds were not split by distance. Though whether that was because of their nature, or because Arthur was his first and closest bonded psychic type, he was not sure. "He will do well. As for an alliance…"

At that point, Tao popped free of his ball, and the chamber shifted to a higher alert level. Pristine white robotic constructs appeared from the white panels making up the walls, and as Alex took them in, they seemed uncannily similar to Sigilyph, while others had a build more like an undefined, uncolored, and undamaged white Golurk. As Heliosa calmed the defenses, Tao coiled his massive body artfully in the center, and his golden gaze swept over each archetypal head of the Selenar as he mentally projected his words. "The other members of our defensive pact will need to agree to your involvement, for it to become official. This will mean the people of Earth will learn of their long-lost lunar cousins."

The Selenar's leaders murmured to one another, not by psychic power or hidden speech devices, but through wavelengths of multicolored energy that Alex's eyes only barely picked up visually as they streamed to others. Finally, Heliosa spoke for them. "We feel the time is not yet right for such a revelation. The Imperium will surely counter, if not with outright war, then with other means, and they have many, make no mistake. In light of this, we will officially ally with Pegasus, and we shall devote our resources to aiding their efforts of global stabilization, and peacekeeping. These resources will be available for your Scales as well, should you inform them of our existence."

Alex glanced up at Tao, who glanced down at him. In perfect sync, the pair nodded. "That will suffice…at least for now." The dragon rumbled.

"Pegasus humbly accepts the offer to incorporate the Selenar into Lantea City and Pegasus as well. With this alliance, Luna will once again be a power unto itself, for those who inhabit it." Colress added smoothly, and the archetypal heads seemed to nod, pleased with his words.

With the meeting concluded, the five of them returned to Lantea City. In the puddle jumper, Colress, Alex, Connor and Tao discussed the logistics of building their fleet of space capable craft. The goal of such a fleet would be the same as Pegasus, to maintain balance in and around the solar system, and once that was achieved, they all agreed that the Enterprise would explore beyond their solar system, seeking out new worlds and civilizations as they boldly went where, as far as they knew, no human had gone before.

As they returned to the command center they'd arrived in Alex found the staff, who until this point had largely ignored him and Geralt, gathered around the city's other puddle jumpers. A woman was at their head, and Colress sighed, pushing up his glasses as he said, "Ah. Indulge them, if you would, Dragon Emperor. I'll go start the Holocall with the Imperium."

Alex nodded, and exited the craft behind Colress, with Ledi Girl right behind him. A curly dark brown-haired woman in a similar gray and red outfit to her coworkers gave him a warm smile as they locked eyes. "Alex, right? I'm Victoria. We're big fans." Her eyes shifted to Ledi Girl then. "We've seen the work you and Night Cat have done too, Ledi Girl. It's impressive how much you two have cleaned up Kalos." She looked back at Alex then, as Connor and Night Cat disembarked as well. "I thought it would be nice to get to know you, and your Scales, since Director Colress said we'd be working together more often. What you see before you are a combination of retired Professional Rangers, several Pokémon Professors and their aides, and International Police Officers. We're the ones using a small portion of Lantea City to monitor the Earth for disturbances."

Alex nodded as she spoke, and from behind her, her coworkers surged towards Connor, and the two teen superheroes. The woman leaned in close to Alex then, though she had to get on her tiptoes to manage it. "They're mostly interested in autographs. After this, we have something important to show you, that you should all be aware of."

Alex measured the seriousness in her lowered tone, nodded, and then indulged the fans he had, among Lantea City's base. Most of the crowd was focused on the superheroes, and namely, how the Muk their fusions even worked, but about half wanted him to sign things, for some reason. One particularly charismatic man managed to snare him into a conversation though. He was an egghead, a Professor or one of the aides Alex couldn't tell. His features were plain, save for a nose that was perhaps larger than most, with brown male-pattern-balding hair, and brown eyes as well; he didn't stand out physically, but he did have personality.

He'd snared the Unovan Champion with a question about battling styles, and Alex shared what he considered knowledge. "At my level, most Battles are a test of how fast my Pokémon can make the other faint. They're strong enough to not really need boosting Moves, at least against road Trainers, and they can power through pretty much any status condition at this point. So, while others try lowering their attack and other stats, by the time they manage to lower them enough to matter, we'll be landing the hit that faints them. With my main ten, that's typically two, at most three moves. Obviously, when their levels are even and there's no type advantages, I take a much different approach, and get…clever, but as you asked about my first team…they tend to roll through whatever they face, at this point."

The scientist spoke animatedly then. "But you don't use Status Moves, usually, right? Only really to catch Pokémon, I assume?"

Alex nodded. "Sometimes I'll Paralyze in Battle, but it's usually better to spend a turn attacking in most scenarios. But yes, Paralysis works quite well for catching Pokémon, though I don't typically weaken and stun them these days, now that I can speak their tongue. Why hurt them when I don't have to, y'know?"

The man nodded, as one of his coworkers paid him the end result of what seemed like some kind of bet. "Very humane. You're using your Granduncle's method well, the way I hear it."

"I do try." Alex said, chuckling, "But sometimes, Pokémon would rather fight than talk. In fact, I'd say that's true of most species, especially those that have evolved."

"Fascinating. As Colress said you would be." The woman from earlier chimed in, joining them. Behind her, the throng of people seemed intent on following her and moving…somewhere. "Speaking of your Granduncle…there's something you should see, before your Holocall with the Imperator."

Alex glanced towards where Colress had walked. "I should probably be there when he's connected…"

The woman waved a hand. "They'll take a long time to connect him, until they recognize where the signal is from. You're going to want to see this, trust me." She winked at him then, not in a flirtatious manner, but in the manner of someone who knew something he didn't. His natural curiosity led him into following her back to the space they'd entered into, and from this direction, Alex realized there had been something behind them that they, or perhaps just he, had not noticed when they'd bamfed in. A massive curtain was hiding whatever it was, and as she approached said curtain, Alex guessed whatever it hid was part of whatever he'd want to see.

As the woman drew back the curtain, Alex finally saw in person what his Gruncle had called a 'Stargate' in his notes. The megastructure was impressive up close, and as promised, displayed the forty or so symbols that were engraved into the ring. For some reason, his eyes couldn't give him more information about the ring, and he assumed it was because it connected to so many places, the possibilities on the other side were basically endless.

Sensing a hint of consciousness, and recalling his Gruncle's account of finding this thing, Alex strode up to it, smirking. "Are you in there, Den?"

The rings started shifting, and the scientists murmured as they spun to life. Alex had wisely only walked up to a mark on the floor helpfully placed at what he assumed was the edge of the safe area, for when the Stargate activated. Plasma surged outward, then back in, and within the portal a face familiar to Alex appeared, mirroring his smirk.

"By Arceus…you sure sprouted, young Redwood." Came a voice not at all unlike his Granduncle's had sounded from speakers all around them in the command center.

"You're one to talk. They say you're in every Stargate across the Milky Way, Den."

Alex had never seen a gate nod before, but Dengeki managed it. "I have seen…so much…learned…so much. Your Granduncle yearned for recognition in finding a Legendary Pokémon, but his name will live forever, after discovering the Stargates for Humanity again. Uploading accumulated data…estimated time to completion…seventy-two Earth hours." The Gate Rotom's eyes fluttered then, and his voice became fainter. "My time with you all is almost passed. There is so much to see out here, Alex. I look forward to seeing what you create…"

Alex frowned as he sensed the Rotom being pulled away, likely due to the nature of inhabiting a galaxy-wide gate network. "Wait, Den! We need to know…has Humanity spread out among the Galaxy? Did our ancestors make it out there?"

Dengeki chuckled, and his face in the gate faded, as did the plasma comprising the gate itself. His voice did come through one last time though. "Yes. Whoever conquers space first…will decide their fates." Unable to share more, Den blinked out of existence, and the Stargate was once again inactive.

With that revelation leaving the crowd of humans silent and softly murmuring, Colress's voice made them all jump in surprise as it came over the speakers. "The Imperium has recognized the origin of the signal I sent. Dr. Weir, please bring the Dragon Emperor."

The curly haired woman who had been leading their group nodded. "If you'll follow me."

Alex nodded as well, leaving Connor and the others to continue speaking with Lantea City's staff about what they just saw. Once they were in the halls again, Alex spoke. "Doctor Weir, eh? I remember there being another Doctor Weir in my Granduncle's records. As I recall, she basically led our ancestor's expedition to the Pegasus Galaxy, right?"

The woman side-eyed him and nodded as she walked. "Indeed. She is my ancestor, apparently. I'd love a look at your Granduncle's records some time. The ones still up here have been restricted, classified, or just removed."

"I'll make a copy of what he documented." Alex answered. "Who classified the documents? Isn't Colress the Director?"

She gave him a look. "Everyone has a boss they report to. You'll meet them eventually, I'm sure. Here we are." She said, stopping before a door that was identical in size and color to all the other doors they'd passed.

Alex thanked her as he entered, and found a largely empty room, with Colress standing before a console in the exact center of it. In front of him, projected onto a wall, was the face of a grizzled man who looked young, but somehow had noticeable age lines on his face. Six metal studs of some kind of metal had been bolted into his brow, and his sharp gray eyes fell on Alex as he entered. "…connecting you now." The man said, as his face vanished, and was replaced with the double headed symbol of the Imperium aquila.

The next man they saw was a vision of aesthetic perfection. Classically handsome features, perfectly tanned pale skin, and raven black hair filled the 'screen' as His deep baritone rang through the simple room. "Director Colress…and Alexander Redwood. How kind of you to address us from your lofty perch."

Colress spoke first. "Great Imperator, as you're probably aware…the assault by your forces on Luna failed."

"I know." The man said flatly. "Did you only call to gloat? I expected better from you Director. Beyreuth said you had important information to share."

"I'm not gloating at all, Imperator. I simply wished to apprise you of recent events on Luna, both of which I think you will find worth knowing. First, your son, Horus, is alive and well. We wish to return him to you unharmed, and you'll be pleased to hear he's essentially told us nothing, in terms of military secrets. Second…the Selenar and Pegasus have both agreed to align our interests with the Dragon Empire."

The mighty black brows crashed together. "Are you declaring war, then?"

Alex spoke up before Colress could answer, now that the Imperium was very aware of these multiple non-Imperium factions coalescing together. "No. In fact, quite the opposite, Imperator. Your son Fulgrim and I have both agreed that the Kalos and Germanian border will remain peaceful, at least for now. I wanted to take this opportunity to offer you the same terms, for the rest of our borders." The Imperator's brows lowered slightly, and Alex continued. "Killing each other and pretending the other side is illegitimate and unimportant is not working. The world is connected enough at this point in time that we all need to coexist, if we're going to move forward. I'd like to get the rulers of the Eousian kingdoms on board as well, if possible, to finally stop the bloodshed. There's no point to it."

The Imperator sighed. "The savages in Eous despise my Imperium. They'll never work with us."

Alex tilted his head slightly but nodded. "Yea, that happens when you capture their civilians and lobotomize them for your work force. But as I understand it, that happened a long time ago, and the senseless death from your current stalemate isn't doing anything but causing strife for our species. I think we can agree on that. I have connections in Eous that would probably jump at the chance to join us as well, but I don't want to keep seeming like I'm trying to provoke you. I genuinely don't want to fight your people. I want both our territories to prosper. I want the Earth to prosper." He said, using the term for the planet in the west. In the Imperium, the official title for the planet was Terra, often elevated to 'Holy' Terra, by the masses of Imperium civilians.

The Imperator let out a deep, leveled breath. "Well. Speaking of provocation…do you know anything about a raid on one of My prisons? I lost experienced Adeptus Custodes, and the video we recovered showed a powerful Gallade at the head of the intruders."

Alex's brow furrowed. "Plenty of people have Gallades, you know…although…" He paused in speaking as he processed the information. Then, it all clicked. There was really only one person who could be responsible for successfully raiding an Imperium prison, and he knew they had a Gallade with them. He looked back up at the Imperator and met his ancient gaze evenly. "It was the Successor of Arceus, and the Gallade was likely Mordred, who was Trained by Caleb Pravus, of Fornia. If you would, Imperator…I need to know what Pokémon they were after. I don't need specifics on how you held it, or kept it alive for millennia, I just need the species name."

The response was only given after a pregnant pause. "Hoopa."

When nothing else followed, Alex swore as his eyes fell towards the floor. "Muk…he could be literally anywhere." He met the Imperator's gaze again. "The people responsible for murdering your Custodes are also my enemies. They wield the power of Shadow, in an effort to control the world. I intend to stop them. My Scales are hunting for them as we speak."

The Imperator seemed occupied by something on his end. Then, his ancient eyes met Alex's. "Your words have been true…and you have not lied about your intentions. Rare, for a leader of mortals." Another pause filled the space, but Alex could tell the man was thinking, and didn't interrupt. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he said, "Would you consider allying with my Imperium as you have Rio, Japan, and the others?"

It was Alex's turn to pause. Most of the free world despised the Imperium, for good reason, but there was a viable method by which the majority of the world, or its Trainers at least, could know them as he'd come to 'know' Fulgrim. In truth, it would help demonstrate whether or not the Imperium was worth knowing, at their core.

"Obviously, it wouldn't be as…immediate as the others. Your Imperium has many policies that the rest of the world abhors. Are you willing to compromise on those issues?"

The Imperator's face was unreadable as he answered. "No. That is unlikely. Our laws exist for a reason. We don't make up frivolous rules."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't call enslaving people and lobotomizing the troublemakers frivolous. The concerns the other Regions have will be legitimate. Systematic slavery. Lobotomy. Eugenics. Pollution. Just to name a few. You're going to let such atrocities stop world peace?"

The Imperator sighed deeply again. "You are still young. You still think Humans want peace. Yet mine own sons thrive in the theater of War, and they are the pinnacle of Humankind. Humans have been fighting wars for as long as our species has existed. It is our nature to fight. We become restless without conflict, and restless masses lead to dead Emperors." He took another lengthy pause, and Alex realized the Imperator was listening to someone else speaking. Finally, he said, "But…I suppose if it means an end to the slaughter of my forces on the Eous border…I can discuss their concerns, at least. I did not create my Legions to routinely slaughter Humans. This stalemate has gone on for far too long."

Alex nodded, wondering what his original reason was for the Legions creation. "I'll convene a summit, when the time is right. In the meantime…I'd like to invite the Imperium's Trainers to join the World Tournament. I think perhaps people will be more open to an alliance once they can officially Battle members of your Imperium and take their measure."

A dark smirk, small but confident, cracked the perfect facade at the mention of battling. "Are you sure, young Dragon Emperor? There is a reason the League banned us in the first place."

Alex nodded confidently. "This is the way we get our respective sides to interact without killing each other. I'm sure the Imperium will help shake up the usual contenders we see in the Finals too. I'll speak to the League about it. Provided your people abide by the rules, there shouldn't be an issue."

Another pause, then finally, the perfect baritone echoed through the room once again. "Very well. If you hold to returning Horus, from this point forward, we will try it your way. With peace. The Imperium will cease its efforts in Koria and other nations we do not control. We will also mount no offensives on Eous, during this period of nonaggression. Unless of course, we are attacked first. We will await the Pokémon League's verdict. Until next we speak, young defender of Men."

"Give the Eousians three days to disseminate the word not to attack, to their forces." Alex replied. "I don't have much pull with the kingdoms on your border yet, but I know people who might. A public declaration of this ceasefire, from your mouth, would go far in alleviating the skepticism that is sure to follow this announcement."

The Imperator nodded slowly. "Fine. Three rotations. Then, any further aggressions will be met in kind." With that, the call was ended. The Imperator sighed, as He knew well the futility of 'peace'. He'd lived it before, but the young Dragon Emperor reminded him of a much, much younger version of himself, and this time, perhaps, the wheels of fate might end up turning differently. Even after so many millennia spent existing, the being that called itself the Imperator of Man still had a tendency to hope that, despite His past failures, this time, humanity would rise in the ideal way.

"You will not regret this, my Imperator." Came a voice from His right. The same voice that had seen an offer to stop the dystopian murder the Imperium had been embroiled in for centuries and jumped on it.

"I will, Malcador. I know where this road leads. I know what lies at its end. But perhaps…when we reach that inevitable end…you and the young Dragon Emperor will see the necessity of what we must do. " He rose from His golden throne, then. "See to retrieving Horus. Send a ship for him to the dark side of Luna."

As the Sigillite of the Imperium of Man watched his Imperator slowly stomp away, presumably to work on one of his many projects, he let out a sigh of relief, and marveled at how persuasive the Voice of the newest Dragon Emperor was. Not many things could influence a mind like the Imperator's, but its subtle power had given Malcador an opening to appeal to His logical reasoning, which was second to none. He set to fulfilling his orders then, more hopeful than he'd been for the last several eons of his existence.

Entral Park, New Tork City - Unova Region

As Alex returned to the capital with Ledi Girl in tow, the two were once more disguised. Marinette, which was her real name, blended in with the variety of aesthetics on display in the world's largest city. For his part, Alex had returned to his black and white attire, and had Astrum cover him in a glamour that by design would turn people's gazes away from him to anything else. As Astrum also wasn't that well known, he kept the gold feathered egg-shaped angel on his shoulder. As they passed by the crowds of people, heading towards Entral Park, only the little humans were able to even notice him, and his Trainer. Most were Trainers themselves, and Marinette got some decent experience by the time they reached the park.

Currently, Entral Park was an idyllic scene of a combination of humans and Pokémon, most of whom were battling, but there were others too, with humans, as entertained by watching the battles as their humans were. It was at this point that Marinette split off from him, and Alex recalled Astrum as he shattered the glamour on him by releasing the Original Dragon from his ball. His cape flared as Tao's massive wings pumped once, enough to float his bulk into the air, and onto his usual perch on the Entree.

The humans and Pokémon around them paused in their battling as they cheered, and those not occupied already started approaching the dragon, when he suddenly looked down. After rumbling in Pokéspeech, his draconic lips pulled back into a smile. His voice mentally reached Alex then. "You're going to want to see this."

As Alex walked over and greeted those he passed in the crowd, they eventually parted for him. Beneath the tree, he found Jess feeding what looked like snacks, mostly pastries with berry filling, to a severely obese Kubfu.

As Alex approached, his eyes went wide and he swallowed down the pastry in his paw, and then stuffed another in his maw for good measure. "Oo ust ee uh agn astr!"

Alex smirked at the young Pokémon. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

The kung fu cub nodded and swallowed. Then, the goofiness faded, for a more serious tone. Alex found his voice, as he heard it, to be somewhere between charismatic and epic. He liked it, and the cub's whole vibe as he put a closed fist to his open palm and bowed saying, "O great Dragon Emperor, I...am Po. I have traveled from Eous to learn…the Dragon Style!"

Alex's smirk widened as the cub used a genuine amount of awe and respect when speaking. "You have come to learn Kung Fu?" The cub nodded, and his eyes went wide as an appropriately timed gust of wind made the tall human's cape flare in a manner most epic. "Then I shall be your teacher." He said as he met the cub's gaze and took his measure. Aside from the weight issue, he was naturally adamant. He would probably have to be, to make such a trek on foot, and seemingly alone. "Canis." He said, summoning the aura hound, who answered as promptly as he always did. "Show him the basic forms. Once he has those down…I'll move you, Po, and perhaps our Mewtwo friend on to the more…advanced techniques."

The Kubfu did an excited little jig, displaying some impressively fast footwork. "Oooh! Techniques! Yes!" Alex chuckled at the pure, genuine excitement in Po's enticing tones.

Jess came up beside him as he fished out a ball. "How did the interrogations go?"

Alex shrugged. "As expected," Psychically, he elaborated, "I've got a new apprentice, in Ledi Girl, Horus is being given back to the Imperium, and for now, peace seems possible. As far as Dark Moth goes…he's on his way to being incarcerated somewhere that can hold him. Both factions on the Moon have allied with us. Verbally, anyway. We will see who upholds their word, and the Imperator himself agreed to back off his assaults on Eous. For now." He offered Po the ball then and continued in his mental manner. "Where did you find this little guy? And are there more snacks?"

Once Po was in the ball, Jess handed him a pastry. "Leppa filling. Leppa frosting." She knew his weakness for sweets, and he downed the cupcake from its papery cradle with a single bite. It almost filled his mouth, but that too was as obnoxiously large as the rest of him, and after a few bites, the delicious pastry was no more.

"I found him wandering around here, or rather, Delphi did." At the mention of her name, the psychic fox appeared with a bamf.

She fixed Alex with a stare, and he paid extra attention. She was to Jess what Arthur was to him, after all. "Train that one well. He is going to be…quite strong." Alex glanced at the cub, who was in the middle of slowly licking his claws clean as he admired his shiny new ball. He gave his new Trainer a goofy grin as he saw him looking over.

Alex looked back at Delphi. "Really? I know Urshifu are strong, but…"

The fox sighed at him, and then tapped his forehead, sharing a rare glimpse of her Future Sight. The first thing he noticed; was how much clearer her visions were compared to his own future reading attempts. Then, he saw it. A massive battle in what seemed like space, yet each combatant was moving like gravity was affecting them still. Suddenly, a flash of black and white zipped by, too indistinct to properly see, but Alex could tell it was Po, or rather, the Urshifu he would someday become. A golden outline of what looked like Tao, but composed of golden energy was cloaking Po, who was zipping through the battlefield, with devastating results. Then, he saw who, or rather what, they were fighting. As Delphi noticed that, the vision ended.

"Those were…" Alex started, but Delphi put a single finger over his lips.

"Not even you can prevent what they will become, Alex. I really shouldn't have even shown you that…but as I said, train the cub well. We are going to need him." Her words echoed in his head before the prophetic fox turned and bamfed away again.

Alex glanced at the Delphox's Trainer. "Has her Future Sight always been so…clear?"

Jess just smirked at him. "I named her Delphi for a reason. It takes a lot out of her though. What did she say?"

Alex looked back at Po then and saw that Canis was now instructing the eager cub, much as Arthur had done for him when he'd been a Riolu. The image of what his Urshifu had been fighting still lingered in his head, but he forced it back into the recesses of his memory. If it was knowledge he shouldn't have, he decided not to dwell on it, until he saw a similar creature face to face. "She told me to train Po here well. That we're going to need him…in the wars to come."

Hearing his name, Po turned, and gave the humans a big grin. "Aw yes! I've already got a prophecy about my awesomeness! Hey Canis-"

Alex winced, as his Lucario harshly punched through the cub's enthusiasm, sending him spinning to the ground. Canis waited until Po managed to look at him again, before exhaling deeply and letting his stance fade. "Never drop your guard during Battle, Po. Even with our team. Even in practice matches. Constant vigilance is required to master the Dragon Style."

Instead of being disheartened, Po found how easily he'd been punched down to be insanely cool. "Yes, Master Canis. Constant Vigilance. Awesome!" He eagerly took his stance again, and the two resumed sparring. Alex watched them, as he quietly had Lux look up how Kubfu actually evolved. He knew both Victor and Gloria had one, but neither had ever answered questions about the method they'd used to evolve their Kubfu into Urshifu.

Selva Muerta - Forest of Death, Dark Continent

Proditor wasn't sure where exactly Shahir had taken them, and he'd collapsed upon arriving, leaving him and the witch stranded. It had given them a much-needed reprieve to attend to their wounds that the Custodes had inflicted, but Proditor was beyond such inconveniences. The Shadow was all too eager to repair his body and had done so already. Being alive still, Morgana had more trouble with her wounds, as Bolter rounds were quite damaging.

Despite that, they'd been here hidden in this jungle long enough for Recover to do its work. Now, she was using a 'spell', namely ghost and Shadow energy, to figure out where in the world they were. "I know our location…" She hissed as she returned from her magic circle. "Selva Muerta. On the Dark Continent. Not far from-"

Proditor cut her off. "The Shadow Nexus! Of course. Shahir must have known it had been created by now, in this era. It might just have the power to help me match this Imperator you warned me of."

Morgana shook her head. "I can no longer sense it. Some months back, its power simply vanished. I never had a chance to investigate."

Deciding to investigate now, Proditor used Toraigon, his reclaimed Hydreigon, to help himself and Morgana scale the mountainous western mountains of the Dark Continent. As they traveled, the witch spoke. "I sensed a great power as well, nearby, in what is likely Rio. We should be wary of their Guardians. It is said the dark one, Sombrador, protects the Nexus from intruders."

Proditor shook his head as the dilapidated mountain fortress the descendants of his own cult on the supercontinent had formed came into view. "I would sense a Guardian, if it was here. But there's nothing. No Nexus, no ghosts…just empty stone." Indeed, all they found upon entering were some signs of recently used Pokémon moves, and a vague disturbance in the natural space surrounding the innermost chamber of the pyramid. "There is one I must speak with…whatever destroyed the Nexus likely at best wounded them. I must breach the dimensional barriers here, and commune. Guard my vessel." Proditor said. He also brought out Shellraiser and Mordred to guard him, as after the Gallade's performance, he had earned a spot on Proditor's belt that had been vacated upon learning its previous occupant was long since dead.

With his body defended, Proditor began what was essentially an ancient Eousian ritual, or spell, that enhanced his psychic prowess. Enough to at least penetrate the barrier between this world, and its Reverse. Once upon a time, it had been the very ritual that had led to his discovery, and mastery, of the Shadow. As the spell took effect and Proditor astrally projected himself into Giratina's domain, his intrusion did not go unnoticed.

Finally… A voice hissed in the darkness of the non-euclidean realm. Eons have passed, Cassius Proditor…it is time to Pay what you Owe…

"Actually… I believe you owe me, Great Old One." Proditor answered, noting the entity was currently not attached to Giratina. "You promised your powers would protect me from anything the Hero King could use against us." He separated the still-bisected pieces of his body for emphasis, in his astral form. "And yet here I am. In pieces after millennia of being Dead!"

The entity hissed in disgust, then went quiet. An unsettling grin crossed its body, and the being seemed smaller than Proditor remembered. You desire more power…I desire freedom, and a willing vessel… Giant black tentacles rose upward and outward from behind the entity. Let us stop taking half measures…much has happened since last we spoke…Eru's song has ended. A clash large enough to shake the very Multiverse has set things in motion, that cannot be undone.

Proditor's eyes went wide. "The First Song has ended? That's impossible."

And yet…here we are. The Dark Master comes…the three lights that could stop him were scattered across dimensions, and are now lost… There has never been a better time to Rise…

Still not convinced, Proditor said, "But it was prophesied that the Light would win…"

The multiversal clash I mentioned allowed the Dark Master…to return early. He caught his prey unawares. That entire dimension was consumed by Dagor Dagorath…and now belongs only to Him, and His servants.

Proditor pondered the being's words. If the oldest evil in existence was back, that changed quite a lot. The entity seemed truthful, but also eager to break free of the prison the Alpha Pokémon had put him in, after reneging on their agreement. Finally, Proditor spoke. "Fine. Shadowmind…Dark Burst!"

The entity's eye widened in surprise as Proditor invoked an item in its possession that he should not have known about, by using a name it had long since left behind. Rather than a possession, which would have kept the entity in control, the Dark Heart guaranteed that they'd be perfectly equal in their fusion. It would take both of them to undo said fusion. All it had to do was wait until Proditor was out of energy. Then it could take control of their new shared body unimpeded.

As the entity fused with Proditor, a shriek roared through the Reverse World as its power finally, completely, abandoned Giratina to its rage. A willing tenant of the Reverse World, Giratina also acted as the entity's jailer, and it was not thrilled about its millennia long record of zero escapes being broken.

As the fusion finished, the Shadowmind felt immediately that something was wrong. Then, Proditor returned his astral form to his body, and the entity understood what the sly human had done. A merge with his intangible essence, made possible by its own lack of a body that could survive in the prime material plane, made their fusion possible. Now, on this plane, it felt all but unbreakable. The entity was trapped, essentially, once more, inside a dead human vessel it couldn't even manipulate. Intense rage, manifesting as freezing cold and increased gravity, surrounded the Successor, and his Pokémon fell to their knees with a cry as it almost outright crushed them.

When I break free of you… It started, but Proditor cut it off, with his mental retort.

"You won't be breaking free of me. From now on, Shadowmind…your destiny and mine are linked. Much like our essences." He reached into the Shadow comprising his robe then, and retrieved the Dark Heart. The only Burst Heart that he had ever successfully corrupted with Shadow. H'd manipulated his cultists into offering it to the Shadowmind, and as expected, the entity had been all too eager to claim such an artifact. It was still pulsing with Shadow energy. Proditor grinned, as it still seemed usable, despite having fused himself and the Shadow being.

Morgana approached then, eyeing the gem, as Proditor returned it to the void his robe was somehow composed of. "What…happened, exactly? You seem…much more powerful."

"I had a friend on the other side. He's fused with me now." Before the ancient traitor could elaborate further, a roar echoed around them, shaking the mountains. Proditor swore. "Muk. It seems Sombrador left a method of detecting intrusions." Proditor recalled his two guards. and the pair hurriedly strode outside, only to take in the imminent arrival of an entity that Proditor feared much more than Sombrador.

Zigma roared again, as the human atop her spotted head pointed at the pair and shouted a command. A sphere of darkness coalesced in her fanged maw, and Proditor spoke hurriedly to Morgana. "We need to leave. Now. Anywhere is better than here."

Instead of a beam from Zigma's maw, the sphere of pure darkness she created expanded around them, creating a massive circular dome of dark energy over all of them. Morgana tried to Teleport, but it fizzled uselessly. The pair of villains looked up at the rider atop the reconstituted Guardian of the Dark Continent, as she spoke into a green Rotophone. "This is the Warden of the South. Inform the Scales that I have the fugitives the Dragon Emperor is looking for entrapped. Send reinforcements to my coordinates."

It was Zigma's turn to talk then, and she roared a single word at Proditor specifically, recognizing exactly who and what he was. "TRAITOR!" The world seemed to shake in response to her shout. Another sphere of energy formed in her toothy maw, though this one definitely seemed like a proper attack.

"Time to see what I can do…" Proditor muttered, as his aspect became more sinister. His grin expanded to unnatural length for his face, and his dead skin accommodated it. His omnivorous teeth had been replaced with sharp fangs too long for a human mouth. A third, unnerving red eye poked out of his forehead, and the entity that had been possessing Giratina got its first view of the world in eons. What it saw, was an enraged Zigma.

"You…" The entity hissed to all present.

Tentacles of pure Shadow sprouted from Proditor's back, and shot towards Zigma, wrapping up her limbs, and dragging her towards the pair. At first, she resisted on instinct, but then decided that she wanted to be closer to them. The beam she had charged up fired, and though Morgana tried blocking it, her psychic Barrier shattered under the ferocious Dark Pulse. Zigma swept it over both of them, and while it freed her forepaws, it didn't seem to do that much to the traitor.

Irritated, Zigma changed attack styles. Her claws started burning with ghostly fire and she spun in place faster than a being her size should have been able to. The tentacles around her limbs faded into wisps of darkness, and she swiped at both of the fugitives again. Proditor held up a hand, psychically stopping Zigma's right paw from tearing into him, and his minion.

Furious, the massive Guardian struck with the other claw, but this time Morgana held it at bay, albeit with a much weaker, shakier grip than the Successor. After having her Barrier so easily smashed, she was dazed and vulnerable. Still furious, Zigma slowly forced her massive claw around Morgana, and then clenched, as she successfully caught, and began crushing the Shadow Sorceress.

Morgana desperately looked towards Proditor, only to recoil slightly, on instinct at the grotesque sight of his undead flesh accommodating his 'friend's' face. Despite that, she still managed to plead. "Lord Proditor…help…"

The man kept his focus on Zigma's other claw, and regarded Morgana coldly with his new hideous visage. "Your usefulness has come to an end."

Zigma snarled. "Even in this age, you remain the lowest form of trash among your species." The paw of the Legendary Pokémon closed, and Morgana's power and body succumbed to her legendary strength with a loud, disgusting crunch. Proditor was treated to a grim sight as the gore-stained claw opened, revealing and dropping all that remained of the witch, which was pieces of her body, her Pokéballs, and his old staff, now snapped in two. The gore-stained claw now joined the other, in trying to tear him to pieces.

In that moment, the now solo Shadow wielder looked inward. "You're holding back, and you've cost me a pawn. We should be much stronger!"

The amorphous mental shadow blob that mentally manifested an unnerving vision of his tentacles seeping into the human's dead brain was the backdrop for their conversation, but Proditor knew it was a show the entity was creating. Probably. You weaken…and my freedom approaches…

Proditor shuddered mentally as his strength burned away against Zigma's. "Listen! We have to-"

Shadowmind interrupted him. "I have listened. Across epochs. Across dimensions. Across universes. Now…You shall listen to Me."

Zigma's eyes narrowed, and Proditor realized his dark passenger had spoken aloud. From his own mouth.

"You shall All listen to Me!"

The entity projected loudly, just as the tips of Zigma's claws met around the entity's host. They surrounded Proditor with harsh, burning ghost energy that actually felt more chilling than warm. A circular wave of Shadow pulsed outwards from the man's body, trying to force Zigma back, but her titanic frame wasn't going anywhere. Her Tamer Nelinha did however get blown away, and Zigma's tails caught her, wrapping her in their scales as the weaponized Shadow energy caused her fur to fall to the ground. Her scales turned dull, and her fur lost its luster and color. Too late did she notice that Proditor, or the entity controlling him, had raised a hand after her brief lapse in concentration, and was draining her of power.

With a snarl, she leapt away from the possessed traitor, and slashed through the Shadow tether connecting them, but the damage had been done. Nelinha slipped out of Zigma's protective grasp as the Guardian weakened. She put a hand on her massive side as she drew a Pokéball and walked with purpose towards Proditor. "Keep the barrier up, Tia. I'll handle the dark one."

Nelinha had gone over the report that had recounted what the Unovan Champion and his squad had encountered in the Reverse World after reaching this area of Selva Muerta, but it had been secondhand information, and any mention of the entity on the other side had been scrubbed from the record. She dealt with angry ghost types possessing humans often enough though, in her capacity as Champion, and viewed this one as perhaps the vilest spirit she'd yet encountered. That didn't stop her from sending out her Mimikyu.

On the Dark Continent, rather than mimicking a Pikachu, Mimikyu were often used to exorcize those that the ghosts of Selva Muerta took over. Their cloth disguises varied in design, usually by being colorful, or based on a colorful Pokémon, but hers still seemed like a bad copy of a Pikachu, with accurate and non-faded coloration. The Mimikyu hissed at Proditor as it appeared. The entity laughed.

"That little slave…will not be enough…"

The Mimikyu hissed again, and leapt into a Play Rough attack, which Proditor blocked with various rapidly manifesting Shadow tentacles. She slashed through each one, but they kept her from reaching the traitor's body. Nelinha only ordered her to keep attacking, and the Mimikyu did so. Over the course of a solid two minutes, the Mimikyu picked up Proditor's pattern of blocking, thanks to her species' ability to copy others so well.

Once she had the pattern down, Nelinha snapped her fingers, and the assault changed in tone, becoming even faster. Proditor struggled to keep up and started blocking with his arms as well. Finally, the Mimikyu bashed apart his guard and made an opening, at which point, Nelinha struck, going for pure damage since, as far as she knew, typing didn't matter against the Shadow. "Wood Hammer!"

Her Mimikyu mercilessly smashed Proditor's face, sending his head spinning around several times as his spine made a sickening crunch. The man stumbled, and doubled over as the Mimikyu leapt away. Once more, the two beings in the same body conversed, as their neck and head spun back around, and into its proper place.

Proditor's tone was mocking as he spoke. "I remember you being much stronger. Can't even handle a tiny Mimikyu? A ghost that bases its entire identity on another Pokémon, usually, is giving you this much trouble?"

I have been weakened…with the severing of the Nexus…the Renegade has been destroying the parts of me that were blown away, ever since…the Guardian gave some strength, but it will not be enough. This Human…her entire team is at the peak of their strength.

Proditor sighed tiredly. "All the more reason to work together…preferably before the Unovan Dragon's Scales show up."

The entity seemed to sigh, before it finally answered. Very well…Together…

As the dark pair reached an accord, the item fusing them together pulsed, and power surged into them, manifesting in reality as a cyclone of Shadow that blew the Mimikyu off its feet. A tendril of Shadow caught it, by the neck of its disguise, breaking it, and holding it in place. Zigma mentally suggested a retreat to her Tamer, but that just prompted Nelinha to go all in. She brought out her entire team, currently composed of Xatu, Lapras, Zeraora, Victreebell, Bisharp, Yanmega, and a Zarude. At their head was her starter, a Blaziken, who barked a command that sent the nine Champion tier Pokémon swarming towards Proditor.

Though his numerous Shadow tentacles stopped them easily, repelling ten high level Pokémon at once, their efforts kept Proditor stuck in place as they coordinated attacks from all sides, and freed his hold on Mimikyu. In the violent cacophony of moves, Nelinha helped her Blaziken achieve her Mega Form, and the rest of the team made openings for her devastatingly powerful Blaze Kicks to land. After three such assaults led by the Mimikyu that had already read the natural pattern of his attacks and blocks, both Proditor and his dark passenger agreed it was time to leave.

Proditor levitated into the air, goading them into another attack, at which point a stronger Shadow limb pinned the Mimikyu directly under him. The rest of the team desperately attacked in an attempt to free her, but Proditor blocked them easily, as he ascended higher into the air. As the darkness surrounding the human figure gathered presumably to then explode and propel him into the air, Proditor was hammered by another attack that came from above those battling with him.

He seemed to recoil from the powerful attack, as tiny holes from its aftermath closed up across his body. "What was that…" Nelinha said, as she applied potions to those who'd been damaged by the Shadow arms, and of course, Zigma. Rio's Guardian didn't immediately recover, but she did regain some color to her now hairless skin.

"Allies…" Zigma rumbled, eyeing the source of the attack. "Probably." She added, as she saw who they were.

A trio of figures floated down through Zigma's barrier, each one of them a Mewtwo. A fourth figure appeared behind what seemed like the lead Mewtwo, which was wearing a black cloak of some description, revealing itself to be a Mew. Nelinha recognized the leader's cloak as an item that humans typically gave their Pokémon to hold. The Mewtwo to the leader's left she recognized as Red's, but the third, and slightly smaller Mewtwo, was new to her. It seemed naturally shy, and perhaps even feminine.

The Mew floated towards Zigma with concern in its eyes, and the Guardian rumbled in response to its concerned mewling. "I am fine…. just drained." Despite these words, Mew closed its eyes, and shone with a Heal Pulse that, to Nelinha's Trainer eyes, seemed mixed with a Life Dew as well. The sagging, furless skin of the Guardian tightened again, as she regained more of her stolen power from Mew, who then turned in the air, ready to defend Zigma from further harm.

"You are Not fine…" All eyes shifted to Proditor, as the Shadow swirled around him again. "You are Not safe…you are Not free…trapped in the same Eternal Cycle…doomed to repeat what has already happened…to Infinity.

"That's enough out of You…" The cloaked Mewtwo psychically projected, as Red's joined it this time for a double Psystrike. A wave of devastatingly powerful psychic bullets hammered Proditor, and yet amidst the sound of him being torn apart, a dark chuckle built to full on laughter.

Both Proditor and his dark passenger wanted out, as they needed time to recover, and regain his tools of war, the ones that yet survived anyways. As the Mewtwo and the living source of their genetic material appeared, Shahir had finally woken up, amidst all the turbulent Shadow manipulation. The laughter suddenly stopped, and the fused being's unnatural mouth grimaced as the absurdly powerful psychic attacks started dealing significant damage. "I will deal with all of you…in time." In a flash, Shahir appeared, and the next few seconds moved slowly for all present.

A floating hand moved out of the Unbound golden Hoopa's center and opened a portal to somewhere else. With each Mewtwo understanding that Hoopa's power could reach across space and other dimensions, they moved to disrupt it as all three attacked this time, peppering the area around the portal with continuous waves of psychic strikes. It was at that point that the grinning menace, tentacles flaring behind him, marched into the field of fire, and activated his plasma sword. The tentacles quickly faded away under the ferocity of the strikes, but the focused plasma blade, that had now become a darker purple after being suffused with Shadow, was more than enough to deflect the strikes.

Proditor did notice that the act of deflecting even one caused the weapon to lose quite a lot of power, and thus he hurried through to the portal. As the fight ended and the entity faded away to rest, Proditor was left in his new location completely alone. All of Morgana's Pokéballs had been left behind, along with his old staff, which had been snapped. The stone she'd kept within it, a useful bargaining tool she had possessed that would've given them control of an Eousian kingdom, was now also gone. Normally he'd have Shahir grab a ball, or the stone, but he could tell his friend was still exhausted, too much to accurately make pinpoint tiny portals with which to steal items. For now.

As he left the new jungle they'd landed in and recalled Shahir, he exited the tree line to find a rather gorgeous oceanside view. His hand covered his pale, tired eyes from the region's obnoxiously bright sun, and he smirked as his eyes made out three other islands in the distance. He spoke, only to himself, and his partners. "It seems Rapax is who we acquire next, my friends…"

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

Chapter 51: Fateful Reunions

The Palace of Ideals - Unova Region

Po awakened from his insanely comfortable Luxury Ball as he heard noise from outside. He'd consumed well over a hundred berries through the night, of varying types and flavors, as Alex hadn't limited what he could eat, or how much. Yet. After a journey like his, the human was willing to give Po whatever he needed to recover.

As he popped free, he was greeted by the sight of two Gardevoir, belonging to other Scales in the palace, who murmured to each other in Pokéspeech as they saw him. "Is that a Kubfu?" One asked. The other nodded, and said, "He's with the Dragon Emperor, apparently." The pair giggled then, turning away from him, but as usual, Po's exceptional hearing caught their words. "I can't imagine how he was chosen." One said. The other stopped giggling long enough to say, "Because of his species, of course. The Emperor probably wants an Urshifu. Even if he's a Chubfu, now." The two strode off then laughing at their clever nickname, leaving Po just watching them go. He didn't lie to himself, their words did hurt, but he was more than used to Pokémon insulting him for his weight. Their little nickname wasn't original, either.

It didn't make him sad, but it did dampen his excited anticipatory morning spirit. He turned around, only to find a massive, golden Luxray barring his path. "Woah…" He said, as the black and gold colors appealed to his eyes, and he took in just how impressive his mane was. As their eyes locked, Po was not intimidated, which made Leo smirk.

"You…are a lot stronger than you let on, aren't you." The thunder cat purred as he circled his newest teammate. "Getting insulted by two attractive females so early…it would ruin the whole day for most Pokémon your age."

Po just shrugged. "Gramps always said life is too short to worry about the opinions of others." The cub looked around, then. "Do you know where we get breakfast? I'm starving!"

Leo huffed, the cat equivalent of laughter. "You really only think about food. Come. You'll need to eat if Canis is training you. Most Pokémon quit after a few sessions with him."

Po shook his head adamantly. "I won't quit! I came this far to learn!" Leo nodded his maned head, and Po eyed his muscled form as they walked. It was hard to see under the dark fur, but this Luxray's muscles were very well toned. "I'm also hoping to…maybe drop some poundage through my training. I was hoping the trip here would help, but…"

Leo chuckled again. "Eating a journey's worth of food after the journey probably didn't help. Once you've seen Nurse Joy we'll know how best to burn all that fat off."

"Good…" Po said slowly, as they passed some other members of their team already eating and conversing with the other Pokémon of the Scales. To a human's eyes they probably seemed large, clean, and healthy. To Pokémon, they all looked shredded as well. Po was in awe. He definitely picked the right Trainer. Leo plopped a bowl full of what Po classified as 'brown nuggets' in front of the cub, and then dragged his own food over beside him.

Shortly after, Canis joined them, glancing around. "Are we eating here, now?" Leo nodded. It wasn't their usual spot in the large underground room they were inhabiting, but it was in the center. One by one, the other members of their team showed up, and joined them, forming an ever-larger circle. Those he'd seen eating on their way in also saw Leo and came over. The circle expanded significantly as Terra and Hydrus arrived. Po greeted each new teammate, already struggling to remember their names. They all seemed interested in him though, and specifically where he'd come from, and why he was here now. So, Po told them the tale, with little detail. His first memory had been of the Urshifu he referred to as 'Gramps', and his two siblings. Very quickly, Po had realized they were different from him. They had trained hard, while he'd preferred to find, gather, and eat food instead. They also looked different from Po, being naturally thinner, and more serious. One thing they all shared though, was a love of martial arts, even if Po was pretty bad at using martial attacks. One sibling had preferred a fast, flowing style of strikes, while the other was more inclined towards incredibly powerful punches delivered with impressive speed. Eventually, his siblings left on a journey to gain more power, leaving Po alone with Gramps. Po had wanted to follow them into the world, but Gramps claimed he wasn't ready. As the old Pokémon's health had begun succumbing to age, he told Po to seek out a master of the Dragon Style, for that would be someone who could teach him Kung Fu.

Po nommed his way through the 'nuggets' and glanced at Leo as he finished his story and his bowl. "Is uhh…is there more?" The older team members laughed, as did Leo. "Eat as much of these as you like. They're just mashed, cooked berries around vitamins. Very healthy."

Po eyed his last nug, and raised a brow as he examined it. "What kinda vitamins?"

"Protein." Canis answered, already finished with his bowl. "Mine have Calcium. Most of our food has, primarily, either Protein or Calcium. Our Trainer is big on attacking." In a single smooth motion, Canis got to his feet. "I'll show you where we get more."

The source of round two was actually an Oranguru by the name of Oran, who could make pretty much any food recipe the Scales wanted for their team. He'd gone from being a second-string battler for his own team, to being responsible for feeding pretty much every Pokémon in the palace, as well as the Trainers. It wasn't a stretch to say he'd found his calling, and both his Trainer and the Emperor were more than happy to leave feeding the Pokémon teams to him.

He was surrounded by a circle of steel that acted as a table, with various meals in various stages of completion laid across it. Under said table was as many ovens as could be safely added, a dishwasher, and a large plastic box that held a mountainous clusterMuk of silverware. The wise ape looked at them as they approached. "Ahh. The Emperor's aura hound, and…someone new?"

Po bowed low with genuine respect for one who clearly loved cooking as he loved martial arts. "I am Po. Honored to be here."

The psychic chef nodded. "Protein then, I take it?" He asked Canis, who nodded, and psychically levitated their bowls over. Oran nodded as well, and then the assortment of meals began psychically moving, as he once more began cooking. The Emperor's team got priority meals, something Po was ecstatic about.

Two bowls later, Canis ended their feast, and the morning training began. This mainly consisted of those with humanoid bodies going through the basic forms of the Dragon Style with excruciating slowness. Po found it frustrating at first, but then realized it was actually harder to stay consistently slow and moving so carefully took more focus. He also found it helped him memorize the movements quicker.

He was still glad when he and Canis specifically moved on to one-on-one instruction. Of the Mewtwo that Alex had mentioned, there was no sign. Canis taught him the finer points of Aerial Ace and Brick Break, as his physical attacks were almost as good as his special ones, and mastery of the Dragon Style, for him, had required him to master both. Once Po had these moves down sufficiently, it was time to battle.

His first opponent ended up being a Mienfoo, though it looked quite a lot different from the ones back in Eous. Po bowed to him, and fell into a fighting crouch as he said, "I look forward to sparring with you!"

The Mienfoo simply snorted. Po looked rather silly, as his fur was floofy and his mouth, unlike other Kubfu, was curved in a smile, not a frown. His completely circular midsection did not help either. "You're in my way, Chubfu." Snarled the mustelid martial artist.

Battling alone wasn't new for Po, and as the Mienfoo was also without his Trainer, Po saw no issue with their matchup. They were the same level, but very quickly, after an exchange of Aerial Ace attacks, the young cub realized he was facing an opponent who had battled many other Pokémon and had put in quite a lot more effort than he had, in training their attacks. Despite that, the rotund cub kept up with his Aerial Ace, parrying it blow for blow, and as the battle progressed, managed to land the first real hit.

After that, the Mienfoo honed its claws to new levels of sharpness, and Po had to dodge thereafter, until Canis called the match a draw, as they both ran out of power for Aerial Ace. Po tried to shake the wushu weasel's paw, but it stormed off before he got the chance, muttering about the absurdity of a Kubfu that was obese, and smiling. Slightly disheartened again, Canis showed a rare bit of affection, as he could sense how words about his weight changed Po's aura, though the young cub didn't physically show signs of it bothering him, it still upset him enough for the aura hound to notice and be irritated by.

They went to see Nurse Joy then, who had taken up residence in the palace with her Audino after most of the resort town had been upended by the rise of the old ruins in the harbor. For the first time that day, as it was about noon, Po finally saw his Trainer. "Dragon Emperor!" The cub said excitedly, bowing as the tall human came into the room. He seemed sleepy, but more…relaxed? Po guessed he'd gotten a good night's rest but couldn't conceive of what said rest entailed. Humans were still largely a mystery to him.

"Just Alex is fine from you, Po." Alex said, patting his floofy head. "Now that you're on the team, we don't need titles between friends."

Po wiggled excitedly, as the nurse stuck odd things on his fur. He sniffed them, but otherwise let them be, assuming this was part of her healing. He'd visited many a Pokémon Center alone on his voyage to Unova after learning that they healed injured Pokémon for free, and he had grown a fondness for the women who worked there, as well as respect. Anything he could do to make their job easier, he tried to do, when the opportunity rose. The nurse frowned, as she looked over his internal scans. His lack of a Trainer had, until now, prevented him from being thoroughly scanned.

Alex raised an eyebrow, but the nurse didn't notice. She and the Audino helping her were instead moving about the room, and Alex opted to stay out of their way, as much as his six-foot five frame could, anyway. It was almost impossible not to be in the way of something one of them needed in the small exam room, and he finally just shifted back to the doorway where his stupidly large form blocked the least amount of space. Finally, the nurse said something, after several minutes of looking through old medical books and gathering medicinal components. "Your little Kubfu has a parasite. It's from the old world, but we do sometimes see it today. Eucestoda, commonly called a Tapeworm. I'm guessing he ate some raw meat or fish at some point. This may be why his appetite is so large."

Alex's brows had furrowed, upon hearing that. "How…do we get rid of it? They live in their host's stomach lining right?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "Po's is rather large, for his body size. I suspect it's been infecting him for quite some time. Have him take this medicine, and it should paralyze, kill, and eventually remove the worm with his, erm…droppings. Within a few weeks his body should regulate itself, and his weight problem will likely lessen."

Po frowned, as though he understood Common to a point, the nurse had used some rather large words. Oddly enough, he understood his Trainer perfectly by comparison. Alex relayed the information to him, sensing his confusion. "Limiting this parasite's food will also help get rid of it. You should be better in a few weeks, Po. At which point, I suspect we'll start seeing some weight loss. For now, focus on training inside your ball, and with Canis."

Po nodded, and then returned to his ball to hone his attacks on the punching bags Alex supplied him with. Being specifically designed to be used within a Pokéball, the training bags helped Pokémon hone their moves and stats while their Trainers moved about, which was great for Alex, as he had another busy day ahead. He collected the rest of his team, before he and Jess set out. According to Tao, the western half of Texico still needed housing and basic necessities, and from there he would guide the pair to whoever else needed housing for their surplus homeless population. Most of the areas were in Fornia, or its satellite regions, as the Church had kept many residents of said regions away indefinitely. With their return, many found their old homes already long occupied by other families, which usually ended in fights, and one of said families ending up homeless. It was a mess, but one that Alex could solve with his earthbending.

Several Scales came with them, from both of their squads. They had been working in the Dragonspiral Tower to master the art of bending elemental energy and would learn firsthand from the Dragon Emperor the kind of control needed to make a dwelling that was suitable for living in out of rock and stone.

Several Hours Later - Unova Region

Over the course of about eighteen hours straight, Alex and his companions had bamfed their way to Texico West, most of the major cities in Fornia, and then after splitting from the earthbenders to handle the smaller settlements of Fornia, moved back east through the other territories, building and bending as they went. Being what he was, Alex was usually able to deliver the envisioned home, or at least its shell, to the homeless citizens of his Empire. Many communities opted for a communal living space with two floors and multiple bedrooms, which was actually much easier to accommodate. Plumbing and electricity would come later, but for those without roofs over their heads in the face of an oncoming winter, any shelter was better than nothing.

His last stop had been Icirrus City, which thanks to its proximity to Tao's seat of power, had grown quite a bit larger and was in desperate need of housing as well. By the time Alex was done, Tao informed him that he'd made about one thousand eight hundred and sixty new homes in total, some one story, most two stories, and claimed that was enough, for the moment. Jess had also split from him, in Mewsia, both to do some paperwork, and to battle the local Trainers there to raise her World Tournament ranking. She had claimed she was going to traverse the whole Fornia region, and the satellite States, until she hit Ultra Class, and suggested he do something similar.

Alex had his own plan to raise his ranking, but today had been primarily focused on fulfilling his promise to his people. From the golden coast to the Foggy Swamp Sage's Island, he felt confident that pretty much every State now had a surplus of basic housing for those who needed or wanted it. As he finished the last house in Icirrus, he floated into the air, feeling a bit nostalgic as he looked over the hills to the north, where Trainer Exams were still regularly held for new Trainers who needed a Trainer Card.

Given his newest goal, he recalled a few old friends he'd made back then, and wondered how they were getting on. He didn't start out intending to catch them, but seeing Sandy and Poli would be nice, assuming they were still around. He headed to the exam area on his own power, as Blaze was training back at the Palace of Ideals along with Shruikan and most of his team. Terra was with him, but resting, which left Noir, Hydrus, and a few others on hand for road battles.

As it had been decades since he'd been here, Alex didn't expect to find either of his old temporary partners. Just finding the lake he'd met Poli at was a challenge, but eventually, the sounds of the Poliwag line in the night drew him over. It was a bit chilly for them to still be active, but someone was still singing away. As he came up to the lake's shore, he saw her, and recognized her instantly. She was a Politoed now, and clearly a matriarch of her species, but he recognized his little Poliwag all the same. She was mid-song, a hauntingly beautiful melody that was hard to translate to Common in a manner that made sense. Naturally, Pokémon did not sing like humans, but it was still nice to listen to, and eventually he realized it was a lullaby of sorts. A few curious Poliwags floated up near him as they noticed him, and he smiled, tossing them some berries. "Here, little ones." They dove back under the water initially, but one by one, the floating berries were pulled under the water and presumably consumed.

Then, he noticed. The melody had ended, and all was quiet…at least until Poli landed on him with Bounce, or tried to. He dodged easily, swirling gracefully out of the way, and then held up a hand as she readied an Ice Beam. "Poli! Poli! It's me! It's Alex. Do you remember your old Human friend?"

The Politoed's eyes narrowed, and the Ice Beam grew bigger between her chubby fingers. Alex didn't move but rather inhaled. He was ready to breathe enough fire to match her Ice Beam. If that hit him, he imagined it would hurt quite a lot, given what he was now. He kept his eyes on her, hands out wide, and as she finally met his gaze, her defensive instincts faltered. Most humans ran by now, but as she regarded this human properly, and registered his words, her memories finally floated up to the surface. Recognition flashed in her eyes and her wide mouth turned up in a big grin. "Little Hyooman!" She croaked, before leaping at him, the ice attack now faded into nothingness. He caught her, and gave her a hug.

"Mm. Big Hyooman now." She pulled away slightly, and he set her down, as she was rather heavy, and large sized for a Politoed. "You…can speak like us now?"

Alex nodded. "I've had an…interesting set of adventures since we parted. And look at you! Not so little anymore either. Not being bullied anymore, I bet."

Poli chuckled and waved a hand. "Those bullies became my consorts. The little ones you fed are probably theirs." She gave him a genuinely happy smile. "What brings you to us?"

"I just wanted to see if you and Sandy were still around here. I've missed you two." He said, mentally nudging Saur, who was sleeping, but overjoyed to wake up, for this.

Poli bounced excitedly in place. "Sandy! Yes! That was what you called him. He is here. I will call for him!" She began croaking loudly then, her calls echoing out over the water.

Minutes later, an uneven line of dirt shot towards them, as Sandy emerged from the ground, a fully grown Sandslash now, with the claws to match. He wrongly assumed Alex was hurting Poli, and thus had aimed his Dig at him, only to falter in mid-air as their eyes met, and recognized that fiery blue gaze. "Little Human!?" He shouted mid attack, as Alex once more swiftly dodged, once more using only a single movement to do so.

"Sandy!" Alex said, as the spine-covered shrew landed, and turned. He scurried over to Alex then, who knelt and gave him a hug as well. "Arceus…you two have gotten so much larger!"

Sandy thumped his chest, proudly with his impressively sharp claws. "We lead our species, and we keep the peace around these woods."

"The Humans aren't giving you trouble, right? You wouldn't know, but I too have become a leader of my species." Alex said with a tone between proud and bragging.

Sandy shrugged. "There are always some who are too abusive or too weak. We try to help them." He looked around then, sniffing, as if he caught a familiar scent, just barely. He looked up at Alex then. "If you are here, does that mean-"

At that point, Saur couldn't contain himself anymore, and erupted from his ball with a mighty roar. The three Pokémon shared a hug, and then Alex and Saur explained their team's goal, and offered the two a part in it. Their answers were largely identical.

"I'd love to help, Alex, but…I have so many little ones to watch over now." Poli said, with Sandy affirming that he too had a nest of shrews to watch. A whole colony of them, in fact.

"I understand." Alex answered as he quietly noted, once again, that the Pokémon bonded with him had a tendency to end up as leaders. Even those he'd only briefly trained. "I wouldn't be taking you away from them, though. I'd just have you hold onto your Pokéballs, and if you ever need our help," He said gesturing to Saur, "We will come and resolve any issues you're having. Especially with Humans. Like we said, our goal is to make this planet prosper. For Humans and Pokémon alike."

The two shared a look, and then nodded. "No other Human has been able to tame me." Poli declared proudly.

"Yes." Sandy added, "No other Human felt…right, like helping you did. I always knew you and Saur would come back someday." Sandy and Poli met gazes then, and nodded, before smiling back at their old friend. "We will gladly join your team."

With that settled, they had a meal together, and met some of Alex's newer lineup. Seeing Terra amazed them, as he was bigger even than Saur. Poli's mind was practically glowing with pride as she took in just how many powerful friends he had now. When the meal ended and the night grew older after the time it took to recount their adventures, the two returned to their families, to stash their balls in a safe place. Alex knew this was indeed the Way, as watching them go both felt sad, but right. They too now had a place in their mental web, and the pair had actually cried a bit when they fully understood just how much he cared for them, and had missed them, despite their brief few weeks together.

He headed back to Icirrus with Noir by his side, as after evolving he preferred the night to the daytime. They battled a few Trainers on the road, with their victories counting towards their World Tournament ranking. Even out here, there were Trainers hard at work, honing their skills and raising their scores. That was the other issue his mind addressed as he and Noir strolled through the night. How to get his still Normal Class rank up to the Superior Sixteen.

Once he started running, at a pace Noir could keep up with, the trek across Unova became much easier. By the time they reached the Palace of Ideals, most everyone was asleep, including Jess. He decided to run his plans by her in the morning, and as he was changing into sleep clothes, he found Po waiting for him in the room. Quietly, they left to talk outside of it so as not to wake the Empress.

"So, Po." Alex started, "How was your first day on the team?"

"It was amazing! Master Canis is so strong! But he said I should talk to you, if I wanted some…Dragon Wisdom!"

Sensing his Kubfu was troubled, Alex guided him to a private room where they could chat in comfort. "What has your mind so troubled, young Po?"

The chubby cub scratched his floofy head awkwardly. "It's just…seeing the whole team today, and all the other Pokémon here…I'm realizing just how far behind I am. How…unskilled I am by comparison." He met the Dragon Emperor's gaze, and Alex saw the fire in his beady eyes. "My Kung Fu is weak. But I want to be stronger! I want to Battle and know I can win!"

"Well, given that you're technically a Legendary Pokémon Po, I can't really use you in the World Tournament. Although you might be fine to compete, as a Kubfu." Seeing how his new partner deflated, made an old tidbit of training knowledge from his Pokéless days surface. "What if I told you I knew a place that could quite easily make your strikes more powerful." Alex said evenly.

Po's eyes went wide. "Does…does such a place really exist!?"

Alex nodded, and shifted to an appropriately epic and deep-baritoned storytelling tone that absolutely hooked the young Kung Fu cub. "In a Region across the sea, in a land called Paldea, there is a place where powerful Pokémon live in great numbers amidst mountains capped by obsidian!"

"Obsidian…!" Po said, in total awe.

Alex continued. "If one Battles long enough in the bamboo forests of this special place, young Po, their attack strength will reach heights unmatched by the rest of their species."

"New heights…that sounds…sooo Awesome… But that's what's bothering me!" Po said animatedly. "Canis and the others can use so many types of energy! So many of the others can…and I want too as well. I'll definitely need it in a place like Paladia. The others said I'd need…tee ems? They said I'd need to ask you, if I wanted to learn such Moves."

"Ahh." Alex said, pulling out his Teachy TV. "TMs are essentially knowledge disks made from Pokémon materials that can teach you how to use a new Move. Lucky for you, I grabbed some today that I had a feeling might interest you. I'll show them to you now, and you can hone them before you go to sleep."

That seemed to alleviate his Kung Fu cub's worries, as he nodded excitedly. The moves chosen were all three variations of elemental punches, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Dig, Acrobatics, Protect, and Metal Claw. With his move pool expanded, Alex and Po retired to their respective sleeping areas, and awaited a new day.

The Secret Island - Alola Region

"Focus your power, Elio."

Once more, the third Champion of Alola, and the longest reigning in Alolan history, did as the Secret Island Sage instructed. He was quite a few years older than when he'd won that title from Kukui, after Ash Ketchum had claimed the World Champion title. His outfit was still similar, though. He had the same style of hat, though this one was black and green, as was the rest of his ensemble of a tank top, and shorts. It matched his Decidueye well. Slowking was a very patient teacher, and Elio was truly glad to have been chosen to train under him on Alola's Secret Isle.

About as large as the Swamp Sage's Island in size and protected by a flock of Pelliper who kept up a constant Mist around it even on sunny days, few humans or Pokémon ventured to the island. Slowking enjoyed his solitude, but over his lengthy lifespan he had discovered that occasionally being visited by curious or just lost humans and Pokémon added variety to an existence that could at times become dull and rote. His chess games with the Swamp Sage were another such variation in his routine, but his star pupil Elio had by far pulled him out of his Shellder the most.

Once more the red-orange aura surrounded the young adult human, as he attempted to make use of Future Sight. It started flaring wildly around him as he focused his energy further and pushed his limits. Slowking's brow furrowed, as Elio was using more than enough power for the move, but as he let his focus wane, the human shook his head. "It's all darkness again, Master. Nothing but vague shadows."

"The problem is not you, young Elio. Something dark is…obscuring your vision. And whatever it is…it is here, in Alola." The Slowking looked out over the beautifully blue sea and into the fog, towards the main islands. He glanced back at Elio, who he could tell was eager to ask him to deploy the Scales lucky enough to be stationed in Alola for the holidays. "Inform the Scales. Do a sweep of the islands…" He paused, closing his eyes briefly, before opening them. "Stop by the Aether Paradise as well. Lily has something that will help you track down any Shadow in the area."

Suddenly quite a bit more motivated, Elio summoned Nebby from his ball, and was soon galloping across the region, just over the water. In minutes, the Solgaleo in the prime of his life got Elio to the floating structure that was home to his girlfriend, her mom, and the majority of the Aether Foundation. By this point, Nebby had his own sky port that lowkey examined the sun lion's biology every time he passed through it. Nebby decided to fly inverted up the side of the foundation's complex, and then over and into the port, spinning out to be right-side up as he landed.

The three or four lab techs that saw his mastery of flight clapped, and Nebby looked quite pleased with himself. A Clefable brought him a bowl of food then, another reason the Legendary Pokémon liked coming here. Elio meanwhile had scurried off to where Lillie usually was, the lower levels, where she largely spent most of her time cataloging the various dimensions through local Ultra Wormholes around their part of the multiverse. Since the multiverse was a chaotic mess by nature, keeping track of which portals led where was difficult, without a beacon or signal telling them they'd visited before. There also tended to be Legendary Pokémon on the other side of these portals, and in the interest of balance, the Aether Foundation had a policy of not angering them, and not catching them. Over time, Elio had reported that most seemed to simply want a decent battle and were most satisfied with him when he gave them one, and then went back home.

The other Scales stationed in Alola were also formerly Ultra Guardians who had been absorbed into the Scales ranks on the Aether President's recommendation. Among them were Gladion, Selene, Lillie, Kiawe, and Ryuki. Lillie was typically their connection to their home dimension, and thus often stayed behind, while the men of the squad had an ongoing contest for who went on the most missions. Staying at home and taking on ever more of her mother's duties meant Lillie was perpetually busy, and when she wasn't, Elio usually was. That didn't strain their relationship though, if anything it just made them more eager to see each other when the opportunity arose.

Elio found her typing away, cataloging by the look of it, which meant she was essentially just doing busywork. It was one thing to visit alternate planes through Ultra Space, it was another to categorize the beacons left behind, before they disappeared with the closing of the wormhole. Seeing she was engrossed in her work, Elio opted for stealth, and surprise.

As he got close to her spinning chair and inhaled for a surprising noise of some description, the chair suddenly whirled around, and Elio found his breath vanishing as Lillie grabbed his shirt and pulled him down into a kiss all in one smooth motion. The Alolan Champion was not startled by much, but he was properly dazed when she pulled her lips away and smirked at him. "You're awful at sneaking around, Elio." He just nodded, more by reflex than anything.

Lillie looked behind him then and smiled. "Nebby!" The entire room shook as the gigantic Solgaleo galloped over to his second favorite human. She gave the extradimensional space lion all the scritches and looked back at Elio. "Is there a reason the Sage let you go so early?"

Elio nodded out of his daze. "My Future Sight is being obscured by some kind of darkness. Master thinks the source of it is somewhere here in Alola."

Lillie seemed to deflate. "I guess we should summon the other Scales." She perked up again slightly as she continued, "I also have some sort of…device that the Dragon Emperor sent to us. Apparently, it can detect Shadow Energy…"

Elio nodded, and then glanced around. "That sounds useful. So. You said they're not here? Not even Gladion?" Lillie shook her head. Elio's eyebrows rose higher. "And your mom?"

Sensing where his mind was going, Lillie flushed. "S-she has a meeting with the Professors."

Elio grinned. "We can summon the Scales in like, ten minutes."

Nebby glanced between the two humans, rolled his eyes, and trotted over to his pillow set up in this area just for him, and sometimes Snowy. Lillie looked slightly disappointed as she pushed into Elio's arms. "Only ten minutes?" She pouted, but her smile was still visible.

It was Elio's turn to blush as he scratched his head. "I suppose we could extend it beyond ten minu- woah!" He exclaimed, as Lillie grabbed his shirt again.

"Good." She said, already walking, quickly, before anything had the chance to interrupt them. "Because I'm going to need more than ten."

Elio regained his footing and smirked at her. "As you wish…" He said, before breaking free of her grip and scooping her up into his arms in one smooth motion that took advantage of the island style martial arts Slowking was teaching him. He Teleported them, to save even more time.

Elsewhere in Alola…

Proditor, now disguised as a very pale vacationing businessman, had made his way across Alola largely unnoticed and availed himself of the many modern Trainer tools on sale on the Big Island. With his dark passenger quietly recharging their power, he took the opportunity to search for potential replacements for the pawn Zigma had taken from him.

He was distracted however, when his odd questions were redirected to the Pokénet by a vacationer who couldn't be bothered to answer everything the strange pale man asked about. The Pokénet was a revelation unto itself, giving him much needed context in a world he'd long since lost touch with. Amazingly, to him, the people of this era barely had more than two sentences about his era and his exploits on this newest world wide web of information. He did discover that Zigma had reformed recently, and who was responsible for undoing that particular goal of his people. While the article credited Champion Nelinha of Rio for recombining Zigma, the newly ascendant Dragon Emperor also got an honorable mention for his antics in Selva Muerta, which had resulted in Sombrador returning to Rio. Proditor didn't know the specifics, but he guessed that this Redwood and his party had successfully destroyed the Nexus somehow. Evidently, this Sombrador creature had guarded those ruins since Zigma's final clash with his pupils, when she was finally unmade.

The newest Dragon Emperor had been mentioned by Morgana as well, as the owner of Mordred's fated enemy, but she'd said little else. Once more he lamented losing his only pawn to the arrogant entity in his skull. He had another thought then, and in the quiet of the Malie City Pokémon Center's public CPU hub, called out his Shadow Gallade. His eyes widened, as the dark warrior looked around, saw Proditor, and then attacked, with the full intention to kill. Proditor went for his neck psychically, strangling Mordred and lifting him into the air, and then behind a stack of books. "Is this about the Witch?"

"You just…let her…die…" Mordred choked out, before kicking at the revived corpse. He made contact with the human's clothing, but Proditor's body just let his leg pass right through it, harmlessly. To Mordred, it felt like hitting a ghost type with a fighting move.

"Enough." The man snarled, holding the Gallade's whole frame in place as he summoned his power in a focused burst identical to Morded's frame. "The Shadowmind let her die. I still had use for her, but it deemed her not worth the energy it would've taken to free her. I didn't see You leaping from your ball to help her, either. Though I suppose you were recently wounded." He dropped Mordred to the ground then, as he sensed the Gallade's desire to kill him lessen.

Pushing himself up from the prone position, Mordred glared at his latest would-be tamer. "You're just going to do the same thing to your team. Once we outlive our usefulness, you'll replace us." His arms burned to life with Shadow blades. "I refuse to serve another Human like Pravus…"

Proditor simply nodded, ignoring the young Gallade's display. The intent to strike had left his mind, and Proditor was too logical to be intimidated. "That was your first Trainer, right? I see he was competent enough to make you useful. Egg infusion. Ideal stats. Altered Nature. Proper training. But he abused you, didn't he? Hit you, or something."

Mordred's eyes narrowed, but his blades held, softly humming as they conversed in hushed tones. "If you can call damning me for my natural typing 'abuse'. He had many disgusting theories about Psychic Types. Ideas that he forced onto me from the moment I hatched, as well as his cult. And yes, he hit me as well. Only his Darkrai's strikes actually hurt."

"A Darkrai? Where is it now?" Proditor said, one eyebrow slightly rising.

"Dead." Mordred said, flatly. "Like the last Humans that tried to tame me. What makes you any different?"

Proditor just nodded again, smirking now. "I know his type. Violent, and just clever enough to be an irritant. I am not like that. Pokémon are living beings, not tools. You have your own dreams and desires, and that's fine. So long as they do not impede mine. Follow my commands, claim victory for me, and I will see that you have whatever you desire, when it is within my means to acquire it."

The angry Gallade processed the man's words, but ultimately found no lie in them. "I have Your measure. But what's to stop that thing in your head from abandoning us, too?"

Proditor's eyes grew hard. "Me. That was our…first fusion. We were in combat before we had properly aligned our powers and established an…agreement. I will Not allow it to abandon more of my allies so casually." He spoke with enough intent that he was certain the entity heard him, but it made no reply. "Now then…" Proditor hissed as the Gallade's gathered Shadow energy limning his arms dispersed, "I want you to tell me of this Dragon Emperor. Morgana was reluctant to elaborate on him. But your first Trainer seems to have…had some sort of history with him."

Mordred rolled his eyes and crossed his pointed arms. "You have your Human information box. It can tell you everything I could."

Proditor once more simply nodded, and then crossed his arms. "With time, it could, but you have a unique perspective young Mordred. So, You will tell me. Now." He said, adding weight to his final word.

The Gallade's eyes narrowed, and he sighed, but then started speaking. Of the first duel with Arthur in Castelia City, and their degrading escape. Of how easily the Gallade and his Trainer were deceived by the Zoroark in Pravus's possession. And of their latest encounter, which had seen him plummet to the ocean not far from their current location, before marching under tonnes of water pressure, for days, towards Galar, and Albion. On the specific details, Mordred was infuriatingly vague, though that turned out to be because he was simply unaware. Dark Balls, unlike most Pokéballs, did not let their occupants see outside of them. Mordred had relied on his psychic power for that, but eventually, Pravus had discovered that, and repressed it. A Pokémon could go mad in that dark void, sometimes not called out for days, and then being severely disoriented when they finally were. Being infused with Shadow didn't help either.

Mordred finished by saying, "There's a very good chance that Redwood will be on your tail soon, if he isn't already. And his Gallade will be right beside him."

Proditor nodded again, taking the information in stride. "You will deal with him, when and if he shows up. I will help you defeat this…Arthur. I don't like the sound of him. I would prefer he…not exist. When they turn up, as Heroes must, they will face your vengeance, and your new power. Thank you, Mordred." The Shadow Gallade nodded in understanding, as he was recalled to his latest ball. The rest of his Pokénet browsing taught Proditor much of the current civilization, and their goings on. Eventually, he found a rumor of a legend about the Haina Desert, which he recognized as having been named with a word from a language and time when Alola was known by a different name, a name that had still been in use, in his own era. In that now apparently forgotten language, the name translated as 'the Cruel Desert' and according to his research, it was so named because of what supposedly lay buried beneath the sand. The ancient enemies of Tapu Bulu.

In researching what this era knew of Guzzlord, he was surprised to learn that the Alolans had actually encountered other living members of the species. He knew Rapax had been stolen, and after learning of the Guardian Deities of Alola, he now finally had a guess as to who had been responsible for removing one of his most powerful Pokémon before his battle with the Hero King.

As he departed the Pokémon Center without healing his team, the nurse called out to him, asking if he wanted to heal them before setting out. On a whim, and because of his lack of knowledge regarding modern technology and records, Proditor accepted her offer. The nurse raised an eyebrow as she saw the composition of his belt, which was currently his Blastoise, Gallade, Hydreigon, and an unbound Hoopa.

She had seen unique Pokémon teams with how many tourists Alola got, but what set off the system alarm was the severe Shadow Infusions in all four of his Pokémon, and the Trainer Number of Caleb Pravus, specifically on the Gallade. Luckily for Joy, she wore her best Pokér face until the unusually pale man left, at which point she contacted the League.

Proditor wasted no time walking, and caused a bit of a stir on the island as the ominous form of his massive Hydreigon flew towards the desert. Once above it, with the sandstorm passing harmlessly through him and his Hydreigon refreshed enough to withstand flying through it, Proditor reached out his psychic senses across its comparatively small circumference, and then deep into the ancient sands.

A grin crossed his pale visage as he found what he sought. In his time, Rapax had been an alpha of his all-consuming species, and while it seemed Trainers in this age rightly feared Guzzlord, they could actually be quite decent companions, once one got to know them. Of all his team, Rapax had taken the most effort to acquire and train, but the unstoppable dark dragon type was worth that effort. Only a few species could hope to withstand its ferocious pull, and Proditor doubted any were in modern day Alola.

"Toraigon." He shouted over the howling sandstorm. "Free our Rapax from his prison. Tri Attack!"

With his aim psychically guided by his Trainer, the Hydreigon aimed his three heads perfectly, and began unearthing the deeply buried dragon. Pokémon fled from the powerful trio of beams, as bits of glass and frozen sand were sent flying, making the sandstorm even more damaging, even to ground types. Said Pokémon tried attacking Toraigon, but they lacked range and power enough to divert him. With no other recourse, they left, and headed north.

Proditor was too preoccupied to care where the small swarm of Pokémon was going, as Toraigon required his focus to stay on target and not accidentally hit Rapax with his attack. Given his typing, Proditor had to aim each limb himself, while his enraged and Shadow Infused dragon provided the power the attack would need to unearth such a large Guzzlord. When the dust finally settled, the sandstorm stopped, and Proditor gave his three headed dragon type a potion for the damage the sand had inflicted. He walked into the sandy depression then, and grimaced.

"Oh…my violent, hungry boy…what have they done to you…" He'd thought Shahir had been in a bad way, but he had at least been breathing. Rapax was as ferocious as he had always been but was now seemingly made of stone. A tiny arm by his head had fallen off, and one of his claws was broken, and on the ground as well. The other tiny arm seemed to have simply eroded away under the sand, which was impressive, given how hard Guzzlord scales were.

Proditor summoned the Shadow and used the tendrils he formed to repair his partner's arms. The smaller tiny arm that had eroded was replaced with a Shadow version that Proditor grafted onto his stump in a more permanent manner.

Beware… The voice in his head hissed. We have been discovered…

Proditor looked up over the edge of the sandy hole he'd made and swore. Floating obviously across his domain was Tapu Bulu himself, searching for the disruption that had sent his subjects scurrying for cover. The 'ting, ting ting ting, ting ting, ting' of his bell announced his presence obviously, and it was clear the burly island deity feared nothing in a space it probably considered its own domain. That meant Proditor had moments, at most. Knowing what fairy types were like with detecting Shadow energy, he opted to move Rapax. Scanning the area, he gestured at the ground near his petrified friend, and levitated his ancient crystalline ball out of the dirt. It was a masterpiece, gold and black with hexagonal faces, which had been marred by something from multiple sides.

He smirked as he realized the barbaric bull god had tried, and failed, to destroy his hand-carved masterpiece, and the last of the balls he'd crafted all those years ago. "Boooluuuu!" He heard from above, and he aimed a smirk at where the Tapu was going to appear, as he masterfully aimed the Teleport to another part of the island.

As the 'deity' appeared, Proditor spat in his general direction and bamfed away. As he and Rapax reappeared elsewhere on Ula'ula, the Tapu's roar was still audible, and he chuckled. He pointed the ball at Rapax then, and recalled him into it, before once more disguising himself. He was glad that the ball still worked. His friend was likely still petrified, but he was safe, and portable now. He'd never pass for a local with his skin tone, so he went with a standard black and purple modern Trainer outfit, complete with a hat and genuine logos to hide his features and divert attention.

Sure enough, moments later Tapu Bulu appeared above Malie City, startling and awing the residents with his presence. From his hiding spot in the crowds, Proditor mentally taunted him, as the human shaped Wooloo around him cheered at the sight of their Island Guardian.

"Go ahead, you glorified Tauros. Destroy me, and your people's city. Show them what you really are."

The Tapu roared in fury, and the people quailed, mistaking his anger as being towards them. Unable to act, Tapu Bulu took a heavy breath, and chose a different path. Once, he would've leveled the city with no hesitation, but things were much different in this era. The humans of the island region had chosen a better path, one Ash Ketchum himself had guided both the islanders and the Tapus to.

Instead of rage, Tapu Bulu placed his hooves together, and massive walls of thorned vines surrounded Malie City. Thanks to Kahuna Gladion, the people trusted their Tapu, though more than a few Trainers brought out their partners as it became clear that Tapu Bulu was searching for someone. Sure enough, being a popular port and having a Riolu population in Alola, it was a matter of math until someone brought out a Lucario, who then barked, snarling on instinct as it immediately sensed the massive Shadow corruption of Proditor's fused essence.

As soon as he'd heard the Lucario, Proditor had started running. He quickly ran out of places to go though, as more plant life kept growing, creating smaller and smaller pockets in the city. Soon finding himself trapped at the end of a long, straight alleyway, the vines beside him burned away, around what appeared to be a thick, burly black scaled claw that Proditor recognized as belonging to the Salandit line. "This way." A gruff voice called from the new opening, as the ominous dinging heralding the Tapu's approach came their way.

Proditor glanced between his options, before taking the exit, and finding a Trainer and his partner on the other side. The Pokémon caught his eye first, as it was very much a male of the Salandit species, a Pokémon that Proditor knew as Saladon. While more 'common' in places like Selva Muerta's volcanic ranges, in Alola, there was only one male born to the local population every century or so, and often, it was caught by a Trainer with a doomed fate. Such Trainers usually ended up becoming the Island Kahuna and had an affinity with Dark Type Pokémon, traditionally, and while this Trainer had indeed achieved that status, he had also been violently removed by Tapu Bulu. There was one other difference that marked the Saladon from his Dark Continent cousins. Runes of flame burned like lava against the black of his scales around his arms, and down his legs and back, and this particular male had an impressive spiny crest between his neck and shoulders that were also likely poisonous.

His Trainer had the skin tones of a native islander, and tattoos very similar in style to his Saladon's across his body. A black scarf covered the right side of his face and sitting atop both the scarf and his head was a cap reminiscent of a human skull, not remotely cartoony or silly, but kind of disturbingly real in how detailed it was. As his visible dark eye fell on Proditor, it narrowed, but the man spoke anyway. "Hurry. Before it catches up."

Proditor followed the older human, as they came to a tunnel carved presumably by his Saladon, that led into Ula'ula's volcano. Behind them, Tapu Bulu finally discovered the hole in his vine wall, and roared with rage in his voice. Proditor could tell his antics and evasion was starting to get to the Tapu. "Why are you helping me?" Proditor finally asked, once they'd traveled some distance from the now sealed entrance they'd used.

"Any enemy of that pompous, overgrown Tauros is a friend of mine. Have you heard of Team Skull?" The man said, not looking behind him.

Proditor thought for a moment. "Yes…but you're at least a whole generation ahead of their members, most of whom are now imprisoned in Black City."

The man grunted in disgust. "Tourists. The original Team Skull, Team Iwipo'o, was much older, and far more…serious, than the idiots that succeeded us."

Proditor sighed, genuinely not caring. "Fascinating. Why is that group of delinquents relevant?"

The man looked back at him, as he moved. "Because that group of delinquents is the only group still resisting the Tapu, and an enemy of it, is a friend of ours. I saw what you did in its desert. Bold, to unearth one of its ancient enemies in its own territory. That thing you have with you isn't the only one to be petrified and buried there. Bulu won't stop hunting you, now that you have its trophy."

Behind them, there was a mighty crash of earth and volcanic stone, and Tapu Bulu's cry again reached them. The man swore. "Sal. Start setting up and sealing false tunnels. Then rejoin ours, and seal it every few feet." The Saladon nodded, and suddenly turned left from them, as it used Dig to rapidly create a new tunnel to nowhere. It did this several times as the pair of humans kept moving.

About ten minutes later it popped up behind them and started once more raising giant rock walls. Behind them, another massive quake and roar signaled that the Tapu had found the false tunnels. Then, a few minutes after that, they started hearing consecutive smashes, as the Tapu figured out their strategy, and rapidly gained on them. As if it understood where they were heading, somehow. Proditor grimaced. "It might have a Lucario helping it. It will be able to track me."

Hearing that, the old man swore, and suddenly turned down a different already carved tunnel, and had his Saladon seal it properly, so it was completely hidden. He then had it raise a solid ten feet of stone in the new tunnel, before they moved on again. Finally, they emerged from the tunnel to a truly pitiful secret base, that was, by Proditor's reckoning, under the part of the island called Po Town. These days it had been reclaimed by the people and their latest Kahuna and turned back into a proper place to live, though Gladion had given the land purposefully to native islanders, rather than rich tourists from the States or Japan. This made the island less popular thanks to the negative press, but Kahuna Gladion was fine with Ula'ula being seen as an island for Alolans, and not rich tourists.

With the surface reclaimed, what was left of Team Skull that wasn't in Prison had almost dispersed, but fate had seen them run into their newly freed founder, who'd just finished serving his own sentence in Black City, and had returned home, after decades away. As before, he rallied the group behind his Saladon, and moved them beneath Po Town, where they'd been ever since. So long as they didn't break any laws, Gladion had agreed to leave them alone, after he and the former Kahuna had tested each other in a battle, and reached a level of mutual respect, if not trust.

The man who'd saved Proditor gestured to him as they arrived, out of breath and sweating from running several miles under a volcano. "This stranger is also an enemy of the Tapu. One of his partners was petrified by Bulu. The Tapu is on his trail even now. We will help him…" The man turned and met Proditor's gaze, "and in return, he will owe us a favor, in the future."

Proditor found it more likely they'd be his fodder in the future, but then banished that thought. He knew its origin and didn't like how easily he'd mistaken it for his own. He met the old man's gaze. "I swear to you, on my true name, I will repay this kindness."

The old man's face was unreadable. "I don't think I ever got your name, stranger. Or your purpose."

Proditor looked around at the ragtag collection of tweenagers, young adults, and old men who'd done hard time, and come out the other side of incarceration intact. "I am Cassius Proditor. But you may refer to me as Lord Proditor."

The gathered thugs laughed. One of the youths spoke, and Proditor was treated to his first taste of modern 'speech'. "Yo, dude, what're you s'posed to even be da Lord of? Pale skin?" That too, made the big-brained monkeys laugh, and Proditor inhaled deeply, resisting the urge to simply drain them of their life energy, and leave.

It took Proditor a solid twenty seconds to keep his murderous intent in check, before he rapidly, unnaturally, raised his head and stared the tween down. "In my time, I was a Dark Lord of the Shadow, second in line to Tame Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon. My kingdom stretched across most of the supercontinent, and those who knew my full name, knew to fear it."

The group shared a look between themselves. The old man spoke then, "Second in line to…that would make you over ten thousand years old…and the man responsible for the Dark Times." His face stayed neutral, as he spoke, hiding how he personally felt about this particular information.

"I am." Proditor answered, deciding to be truthful in this moment. "I'm also the only person in Alola with the power and the means to stop your violent Tapu in his tracks. Perhaps even permanently."

Being a former Kahuna, the old man had heard the legends. Of the Successor to the man who'd tamed Arceus itself in its true form, only to fail, and drag the planet into chaos once again. Once again, the failed Kahuna had a choice before him. The walls shook with dust as Tapu Bulu forced its way closer. Once more, the 'ting, ting ting ting, ting ting, ting' of his bell announced his arrival, but it seemed less ominous now, and more discordant.

Finally, the old man spoke. The remnants of Team Skull were, as always, waiting to follow the lead of someone with charisma and half a clue. "Alright. Fine. I won't judge you for your past deeds or ask how you're alive again. If you can stop Bulu, we're in. It's time my people were free of that monster." Said 'monster' was getting closer, and once it marked them, they were as good as dead anyway. At that moment, Sal appeared beside him, meeting his eye, and nodding. Better to die fighting than rot in ignominy in this damned tunnel. They'd resigned themselves to growing old in Prison, teaching the next generations, and dying in disgrace, but this stranger, if he was speaking truthfully, had genuine power behind him. A literal figure from prehistory. The old man was willing to gamble on a man that could cheat death.

With an explosion of rock, dirt, and dust, Tapu Bulu entered the base, slowly rising to its full height as it stopped crouching. Upon seeing Proditor, and the former Kahuna, its eyes bulged with fury. The red mask adorning its horns began to turn black, and most traces of color and light seemed to leave the Tapu, as it readied itself to both end an abomination to nature and take several human lives. He recognized many from the first Team Skull he'd violently disbanded. There would be no second chances this time and Gladion wasn't there to save them. Right here and now, Team Skull would end. Forever.

The Saladon was the first to step up and face the Legendary grass fairy, and he was soon joined by Mordred. Tapu Bulu roared as its golden aura flared to life around it and formed an empowering aura shield. Proditor gave the Saladon a final gift, as he raised a hand, and engulfed it in Shadow. "Use this power! It will dull the effectiveness of its Moves and empower your own."

The old man grimaced, as the natural orange-red runes of his Saladon turned purple and started uncontrollably spewing dark flames. Cracks appeared on his lizard skin, but the enraged burly salamander was too furious to notice, or care. "Yea. I know what Shadow Infusion does..." He sighed deeply, and then muttered, "Muk it. Shadow Claw!" Mordred used his own Shadow move, and the pair of them made contact, only to fade and reveal the Tapu had tanked them with almost no damage taken, such was its defensive ability.

As the humans scattered, Proditor hid with them, knowing better than to stay near Bulu while it was in this state of rage. "If we want to win, we're going to need a Gardevoir. Preferably one with Synchronize and Skill Swap."

One of the female grunts spoke up. "I have a Gardevoir…but they don't have Synchronize."

Proditor nodded. "I expected that. Which is why I'm glad I picked up this...Ability Patch thing, in the city. If I understand its purpose accurately, it can help us." The grunt's eyes widened as they saw it. "Use this on her. Then have her remember Skill Swap."

"M-my Gardevoir is a male. You shouldn't just assume someone's gender, man." The grunt answered. Behind them, the explosion of moves shook the tunnel. Proditor just stared at her, first in disbelief, then in fury.

"I don't Mukking care what gender your amorphous Fairy Type labels itself as." Proditor snarled. "Just bring it out!"

The clearly panicked woman glanced at her comrades, and then nodded sheepishly. She brought out the male Gardevoir, who took in the scene before them, and frowned. Proditor went to hand his Trainer the patch, and the Gardevoir blocked him. Proditor sighed, and threw it at her, leaving her to it. Then, he turned, and threw a timely Pokéball to help the flagging Saladon and Shadow Gallade. Shellraiser joined the fray, followed by Toraigon. They distracted the embattled Tapu long enough for Proditor and the old man to heal their partners. Once recovered, the four Shadow Pokémon faced down the enraged and blackened Tapu in a truly epic clash that shook the tunnels with each move they traded. Mostly, Mordred, Toraigon, and Shellraiser knocked its shields away so the newly infused Saladon could hit it with a move combining Shadow, fire, and poison.

Proditor whirled on the grunts then. There were less of them, but the one with the Gardevoir hadn't yet lost her nerve. "Are you done yet?" She nodded, and Proditor brought out his ace. The other grunts gasped at the sight of the petrified Guzzlord, and one of the younger male grunts backed away in appropriate fear.

"U-uh, Boss!? This guy's got a Guzzlord! This thing is big enough to eat the whole island!"

"He could." Proditor said with a grin. "But he won't, unless I will him to do so. Now, all of you…shut up." He looked at the Gardevoir. "Give him your new Ability, with Skill Swap."

The Gardevoir looked at Proditor, then at his Trainer, and finally the petrified Guzzlord, then made the choice that the old man hadn't, and shook their head in defiance. Proditor fixed the Gardevoir with a glare and assaulted it mentally. "Listen well, amorphous one. You, your Trainer, and everyone in this tunnel will end up like my friend here without Your power. Use it!"

"No…"The Gardevoir answered, struggling against his psychic barrage. "You…are evil…pure evil…I won't…help…the Betrayer!"

Before Proditor could react, his dark passenger woke up, and acted for him. The Gardevoir's eyes started glowing with Shadow energy, and she used Skill Swap on the petrified Rapax. Seeing this, Proditor psychically guided his team into having the rampaging Tapu look at the petrified Guzzlord, now out from his ball.

Seeing his target, and the futility of fighting resistant Shadow Pokémon hammering somewhat futilely against his own defenses, Tapu Bulu moved towards Rapax. As he raised a hoof holding one side of his mask shield, Rapax's eyes locked with Tapu Bulu, and thanks to the nature of the petrification, transferred it via Synchronize.

Slowly, the now darkened Tapu began petrifying, as the curse upon Rapax finally began to come undone. Bulu tried pulling away, but Mordred, Shellraiser, and Saladon held him in place. Only once the petrification was completely traded, did Rapax finally inhale, then exhale. With the exhalation came millennia of dust, followed by a full-body cough, given that its body was ninety percent mouth.

With the rock and stone coughed up, Rapax aimed its body upwards and inhaled the air of the tunnel, and on the 'exhale', let out the loud, maddening roar that its species was known for. The Hyper Voice knocked over the sturdy frame of Tapu Bulu, and Proditor smirked at it. "Shellraiser. Destroy it." His Blastoise mirrored his smirk and stomped with true hatred on the Pokémon that had jailed his friend for so very long. To his immense irritation, the stone only crashed further into the rocky floor of the tunnel, the 'statue' itself was unblemished.

The old man shook his head, and his eye met Proditor's. "That won't work. Right now, the Tapu is immobile, and essentially indestructible. The Tapu's petrification mirrors its own power, and despite our feelings about it ruling us…it is a Legendary Pokémon. According to the eggheads, this kind of petrification defies the laws of existence. The only one who can undo this status is Bulu…though one of the other Tapu might be able to cure it, all this fat, lazy bull can do is inflict it on others." He spat on the Tapu then, and his gang, the few that were left, followed his lead.

Proditor finally noticed then, that the female grunt from earlier was among those who had now scurried off. He let her go. The psychic partner of her mind had touched the true power of the Shadow. They'd be back, with or without her. He turned to Rapax, giving him a rare smile. "It's good to see you, Rapax. I'm sorry you had to endure that for so long."

The Guzzlord made a tired, whining sound, as Proditor examined his formerly broken claw. It seemed intact, though the new tiny Shadow arm beside his head kept flexing on instinct. "You'll feel better after a rest. Then we'll see about getting you some food." The Guzzlord made another tired groan and returned to his ball. To the remaining grunts and the old man, Proditor said, "I will not forget this. When your need is dire, I will be there to give you aid. Until then…I would advise hiding. The Dragon Empire will likely convict you for your mere presence here."

Then, with a bow and a bamf, he was gone.

The Palace of Ideals - Unova Region

The decent rest Alex had been getting was interrupted by one of the Scales in his own squad, who had become his source of information for when the Muk hit the Fan Rotom. He had an infectious good mood, even at ungodly hours in the morning. "Goooood Morning my draconic overlord and lady!" Both Alex and Jess groaned in unison as they heard him.

Alex raised his head out of the tangle of limbs and blankets and glared through bleary eyes at the man. "Max…the world had better be on Mukking fire if you're bothering us this early, on vacation…"

"Maxwell Pendleton only intrudes when absolutely necessary, good Dragon Emperor! Alas…two situations demand your attention this fine morning. I'm only here to let you know that. I'll leave you two to get ready." Then, he was gone. Alex groaned again, and pushed himself up, failed, and fell back into the comfy sheets.

He conked out for another five minutes, before he felt Tao keep his mind from re-entering a sleep cycle. He levitated himself up then, saw Jess was still out, and forced himself to get ready. Jess was still dreaming once he was done, so he wisely let her sleep and started towards the War Room, which was a smaller chamber off the Throne Room. His armor appeared as he walked, slightly slowing his stride.

As he entered, he saw Tao's eyes floating above the table as was his wont. Around the table were the Latios he'd met in Rio, Colonel Surge, and Warden Riker. "Alex." Tao rumbled in their heads. "Your quarry has surfaced. First in the ruins that once housed the Shadow Nexus. Then, after confronting and injuring Zigma, he appeared again on Ula'ula island, where he angered Tapu Bulu. Champion Elio is currently trying to find the specifics of what happened." Then, in just Alex's head, he said, "The Secret Island Sage sent him to investigate the sudden arrival of darkness in the Region. It was enough to block their Future Sight. He might have stopped the Successor, had he not been…distracted…by the Aether President's daughter."

Alex's brows crashed together as he stared Tao down, sensing his line of thought, and the reasoning he was using. "We're not having this argument again. The Scales will not be restricted in their relationships. And the Pokémon Wars Saga you would use to justify such celibacy also proves that they'll form attachments regardless of whether they're forbidden or not. How did that work out, in the Saga? We will simply have to help them through their emotions, when they inevitably become unstable."

"Instability is not the only problem, young Redwood. Distraction is also a problem, and the reason the Traitor again evaded us." The dragon continued, and Alex sighed.

"How often have those two been able to see each other?" Tao began to answer, but Alex cut him off. "If the Secret Sage is anything like mine, not nearly enough. That's why they were 'distracted'. I'm sure if Elio had known what was obscuring his sight, he would've acted immediately. He is also a Tamer, so don't count out his tracking ability just yet. He's on the trail now, I assume?"

Tao gave an affirmative. "Then leave him to it." Alex said, closing his eyes, and reaching out psychically. He gave the mental equivalent of a knock to Elio, and the fiery mind of Alola's resident Hero touched his. "Champion Elio. I hear the Successor gave you the slip."

Embarrassment and irritation flooded his mind, overlapping the anger that was starting to boil under it all. Alex wondered what he wanted revenge against the Successor for but didn't pry. "...Yes, Dragon Emperor. He did. By the time the Sage and I sensed that darkness, he was already halfway through his antics. I'll have a report later."

Alex let his perpetual chill vibes flow across their link, and he noted the amusement from Elio. "Don't stress over it, I can get the details from others. I'm putting You specifically on the task of hunting him down. Use whoever and whatever you need to find and detain him. Alive, if possible, but do not underestimate him. If you can't detain him, either run and regroup, or have Solgaleo end him." Alex doubted the sun lion had a Spacium Beam but given that it was a Legendary Pokémon from another dimension, and had the stats and Z Moves to back up its hype, Alex wasn't worried.

Elio's determination burned to life in the wake of his words, and Alex radiated approval, even more confident of his choice for this. Alola's Champion had quite a reputation of his own, and if the rumors were true, had visited more alternate dimensions than any known currently living human. He was also a rather high ranked contender in recent World Tournaments and had reportedly been on an unbroken win streak through the latest one, like most Champions had, so far. "I'll detain him and figure out what he's doing. He won't get away from me again." Elio stated confidently.

The connection broke then, and Alex could see Surge glancing at the others as psychic and silent conversations left the room filled with dead air. Finally, Alex opened his eyes again, and spoke. "Elio is on the trail. I need to know the specifics of what the Successor did in Selva Muerta, and Alola." He looked at the Latios, then. "Is Zigma alright? If she needs Light-"

The Latios held up a hand and met his gaze evenly. "Your offer is appreciated, but unnecessary, Dragon Emperor. We're indebted to you enough already. Zigma will recover. She was tended by Mew, and the three Mewtwo it was traveling with." Alex nodded, as he'd heard their own had disappeared from the Dragonspiral Tower and her training. "And Alola?" He was handed a Rotablet then, and the ghost in the machine showed him the report, in detail. Ula'ula's police force had pretty easily tracked and accounted for ninety percent of the Successor's time on their island between security cameras in the Pokémon Center, and cameras in the PokéMarts as well. He'd stolen quite a few items, apparently just by pulling them into his shadowy robe. "Put up all three of his appearances, including that Trainer disguise, and then have the footage and list of stolen items sent to our friend in Italia. If we can get Elio and the three Mewtwo to corner him at once, that might be enough to end this threat. Or at least contain it long enough for us to show up and deal with it. Which brings me to my next point…"

Alex met Tao's disembodied gaze again and spoke mentally. Surge and Riker shared a look, and Alex made a note to thank them for their patience. "The Burst Heart that Shruikan and I used. Where is it? I know you were the one who bamfed it away after we beat Pravus."

Tao chuckled. "For safety, young Redwood. You Humans so easily lose important items all the time. I see your reasoning. You intend to wield it again, to strengthen your Spacium Beam."

Alex nodded. "Ideally I'd use it with you, this time. Shruikan is powerful, but not…as attuned to the Light. With both you and I behind it, I think we can at least match the power that the Hero King of Galar used."

Tao's eyes pulsed again. "Unbinding Shruikan from it was a painful process. If you use it with me, it will be permanently bonded to us."

Alex nodded again. "Then we hide it somewhere Humans will never be able to reach, once we're done with it. I already have an idea of who we can entrust with it." Suddenly, verbally, Alex spoke again. "Warden Riker. Thank you for your…patience. How are the Prisoners handling restricted leave?"

Riker stood a little straighter. "By all accounts…very well, actually. There have been rumblings of Sedition, but mostly from indoctrinated family members that have Arc News on all day. We're keeping an eye on them."

Alex nodded slowly. "Send me a list of who you believe we could safely release. Ideally, those without Seditious family members." He turned to the Colonel then and gave him a nod of respect. "Colonel Surge. How goes the training?"

"Sir." The man said, coming to full attention. "Our armed forces have hemorrhaged members, as expected…but we're below pre-war numbers. Those who have stayed are training hard."

Alex nodded, expecting such a decrease. "We'll start recruiting again after people have time to cool down. In the meantime, select those who are fit for promotions. We want to reward those who chose to stay and serve their Empire despite peacetime." Surge nodded, and after checking with Tao to make sure that was everything, Alex spoke with finality. "If there's nothing else, gentlemen, I have a World Tournament rank to grind."

The Latios nodded, mentally wished everyone well, and then Teleported home. Riker did the same, although his method involved his Alakazam. Surge, however, did have something else to say. "If you need an opponent, Dragon Emperor…I bet it would inspire the troops to see you and I Battling for their entertainment."

A smirk crossed Alex's face. "I'd be genuinely honored to face the Lightning Unovan in front of the troops. I can get us there quickly, if you like." Surge nodded stoically, but Alex could tell he had reservations about Teleporting. "It'll be smoother if you picture the base as well." The Colonel closed his eyes and nodded.

As they bamfed, Alex felt a tiny hand on his shoulder at the last minute. Thankfully, he was able to bring their third person safely with them. As they reappeared in the middle of the main battlefield in the capital's military base on the Long Island, Alex whirled on their unintended third, only to find Ledi Girl, slightly out of breath, and still in her sleeping clothes, a fluffy red onesie with black spots, and her spare mask. Alex smirked as he realized who'd followed. "You know, I would've gone back to get you. After breakfast. You don't need to be up as early as I am."

Ledi Girl rolled her eyes. "Right. I've talked with Jess, you know. I've heard how often you Teleport into…shenanigans. Her words. I promised her I'd have your back, and I won't let you make me a liar." She returned his smirk and crossed her arms. "You're stuck with me, D.E."

Alex's smirk fell away into a neutral, unamused expression. He let an appropriate amount of silence create dead air, and then said, "No. You'll use my name, if you want to address me. Nicknaming privileges are earned. Speaking of names…I did have a thought, if you're open to a change in moniker." The smirk returned. "I had a chat with Tikki while you were otherwise occupied. We're both in agreement." Punctuating his words, the Ledian popped free from her ball. "Ledi Girl used to work, but now, as far as names go…frankly, you've outgrown it. After beating Dark Moth, we feel you're more of a…Ladybug."

The teen's eyes widened, and then she looked downwards as she rolled the name around in her head. "Ladybug…" She muttered, nodding, as a smile crossed her face. It did feel right.

"You'll be able to Burst whenever you want now." Tikki added. "Multiple times. That's not all, either. The Original Dragon fixed an…old wound for me." She smirked up at Alex, who'd raised an eyebrow at her words. "Once you little Humans were all asleep. I'm at my old level of strength, now. And it's given us an…upgrade."

As Ladybug's eyes widened at the idea of an 'upgrade', Alex turned to the Colonel, who was also smirking by this point in the conversation. "Go gather the men, after you get some breakfast. This one needs something to practice once our Battle begins." Surge nodded, gave a crisp salute, and then strode off at a brisk pace that made full use of the man's lengthy stride.

"Light Burst!"

Alex turned, smirking as the eager teenager activated her Burst Heart, and fused with Tikki. True to her words, Tikki had not been lying about the upgrade. Their wings were larger now, more akin to a Mega Pinsir, their mask became rounded, protecting their eyes with a bulbous black protrusion around them that covered most of her face and where her nose had been. Marinette's hair underneath the black and red exoskeletal helmet became four separate antennae. Each of their four fists was now covered in a black spotted and red exoskeletal 'gauntlet' of sorts that, from the look of them, could shoot webs with ease and block physical attacks. Her legs were similarly covered by an exoskeleton that resembled a pair of stylish boots, with the same color scheme, and overall, her synchronized form now had more black on it than just red with black spots, particularly around her lower pelvic area.

As Ladybug opened her eyes, they burned gold under the bulbous mask, and the black dot on the center of their forehead also glowed with the Light. She took in her new form, flexing her wings, and extending and shrinking her new web shooters on each arm. "I have been wondering, Ladybug…you seem to know a lot about Burst Hearts. My own sources are…infuriatingly vague on what they even are. How they work. What they're made of. Care to enlighten me?"

Ladybug's eyes shifted, as she had an internal conversation. "I think…revealing that would be a bad idea."

Alex pressed her. "If I'm to train you, I need to know what I'm working with. Give me a run-down. You've given Burst Hearts to others in Kalos before, no? Tell me what you told them."

Ladybug's eyes shifted some more, before she finally nodded with a sigh. "Alright." She gestured for him to lean in, and he did so, leaning down significantly, so she could whisper to his ear. "Burst Hearts are specially formed crystals composed of the natural energy types of the universe. The type they have inherently, will resonate best with a Pokémon of that same type. Usually, once bonded, a Pokémon is forever tied to their Burst Heart, and while some of them can uncouple from them, it's a severely painful process. Legendary Pokémon cannot break this bond, and most Burst Hearts will become the main type of the Legend they're bonded to."

Alex's brows furrowed. "Resonate?"

Ladybug nodded. "Burst Hearts give off their own aura, again matching their type, and the better a Human and their partner can resonate with the Heart and each other, the more powerful the final fusion will be."

Alex nodded, and then met her gaze, turning his head slightly. "But what about yours? It's infused with the power of the Life Pokémon, but bonded with Tikki?"

Ladybug was quiet for a moment, before she spoke again. "Xerneas used to have what we call a Burst Partner. A long, long time ago. As did Yveltal. When their Humans died, the two Legendary Pokémon were freed of their Burst Hearts, and it was Zygarde who hid them away. Plagg stole Yveltal's, and upon touching it, became the embodiment of Destruction. To counter this new force, Tikki was selected by one of Zygarde's forms, and became the embodiment of Life. We were then charged with finding Humans to partner with, who would wield the Hearts responsibly." Tikki quietly left out the part where the Guardian of the Ecosystem had threatened to simply destroy them, and the Hearts, if they refused.

Alex nodded slowly. "So Tikki has had multiple partners. Probably selecting them once a significant threat appears, right?"

Ladybug nodded. "Dark Moth found a Poison Typed Burst Heart and bonded his Venomoth to it. In using his power for evil, Tikki and Plagg woke up again, and were tasked with finding another pair of Humans to counteract his evil."

Alex stood up again, as a line of soldiers in the distance began shuffling onto the field at a brisk pace and into the stands surrounding it on either side, a welcome break from early morning training. "Thank you, Ladybug. I won't share this information too freely. I want you to get a feel for your upgraded abilities, while Surge and I have our Battle. Try not to get too…carried away."

Ladybug nodded, flexed her wings, and shot into the air significantly faster than she expected to. She let out an involuntary whoop as she looped through the air to kill her momentum, and then zipped off elsewhere on the base to do as instructed.

Alex turned to face Surge then, as he was already standing in the Trainer box on his side of the field. Once the stands were full, Surge drew a Pokéball, and leveled it at the leader of his region. "Three on three, World Tournament rules. That work for you, General?" He asked, using Alex's military rank, which was the same as the other Unovan Champions.

Alex nodded, and as he did, the same Drone Rotom that had officiated his matches so far appeared again, flying in from the horizon. It announced the terms for all to hear, and then in response, the gathered troops started chanting. Surge looked unamused, but Alex chuckled. The number five was chanted repeatedly, and Alex looked at the Colonel. "I'm not one to deny our troops. I can do five on five."

The chanting slowly died down as the troops waited for the Colonel's response. Finally, once they quieted, he nodded his spiky blonde head. "Fine. Five it is."

The Drone Rotom spoke again, then as the troops whooped. "The competitors have agreed to change the match to five Pokémon each. Victory in this match will propel either Colonel Surge to the Ultra Class, or the Unovan Champion to the Great Class, based on their current respective standings. Let the Battle begin!"

Surge threw his ball first, as five of Alex's floated into a half circle behind his head. As Surge's Magnezone appeared, Alex made his own choice. Kalagon appeared on the field, and this time, he roared at his opponent as he did so, taking a battle stance, arms wide as he got ready. Leveling up thanks to his frequent and recent training and usage in battle had turned the young Gible downright vicious, and eager for combat. Apparently, this was very common, when a Gible was about to evolve.

Surge smirked. "I'd heard you got a Gible. And that it was a baby. Seems it's already grown quite a lot."

Alex gave him a knowing smirk in return. "He's about to get a lot stronger. Earthquake!"

Surge's eyes widened as Alex took the initiative, but he tried to counter quickly. "Magnet Rise!"

As the slow Magnezone began levitating itself out of ground move range, the battlefield shook, and the troops whooped in response. The Earthquake struck, but the force of it only helped the Magnezone ascend. Alex didn't let that stop them though. "Kalagon! Dig, now!"

Surge seemed sure of this round, now Magnet Rise was in effect. "When it pops up, hit it with Flash Cannon." The Magnezone responded with an affirmative and began tracking the underground movement of its target as it gathered a bright ball of steel energy.

Kalagon sensed the oncoming danger, and mentally reached for his Trainer. Verbally and in his mind, Alex said, "Come up and use Fire Fang!"

The tiny Gible launched from the ground with an explosion of flame, and the well trained Magnezone fired as soon as he appeared. Kalagon used his sight and Alex's in conjunction as his large jaw clamped down on the steel sphere and tossed it away. He kept the move going though as he spun through the air from the momentum of the throw, and chomped down again on the Magnezone for a super effective hit that did a lot less damage than Alex expected.

Surge however, stared at the damage in disbelief. "I trained my Magnezone to be a Steel wall…and your baby dragon just bit off a quarter of it." He shook his head, but smirked. "I guess your title isn't all hype."

Alex gave him a dark smirk. "You should see my first Dragon Type." He'd actually wanted Shruikan for this, but for the first time in a long while, the combat loving Salamence had denied him, and made him go with Kalagon instead. "Keep it up, Kalagon. Fire Fang!"

Surge never so much as sweat. "Rise out of its range, and then get ready, Magnezone! I want you to rain Flash Cannons on that dragon!" As ordered, the floating sentient magnet rose out of Kalagon's jumping range, and the flames around his fangs fizzled. Then, it raised its magnets, and between them, a massive sphere, and likely most or all of its power for Flash Cannon, gathered between the magnets.

Seeing this, Alex nodded to himself. "Return, Kalagon. Goku, time for some dodging practice." The baby land shark nodded, understanding the battle had shifted. Out came the recently evolved Monferno, who had the speed to survive the oncoming Flash Cannons, and the typing to resist them if they managed to hit. The attack launched, and Magnezone watched from its lofty perch as the orbs of blinding steel energy began falling. For his part, Alex put a closed fist to his open palm, and let his heart beat in time with Goku's. The fire monkey did the same, and then as one, they fell into their Dragon Stance.

Alex focused on giving him a wider perspective of where the attacks were landing, and Goku swirled away from them with practiced, spiraling movements. His powerful limbs, several times stronger than a human's, helped him leap out of the spheres that Magnezone directed on top of him. Eventually, the spheres stopped falling, but Surge was unperturbed. "Magnezone. Lock On."

Alex nodded, guessing what came next. "Get ready, Goku." He said, heightening their focus again. It was going to be Thunder or Zap Cannon, but Alex was assuming Surge would pick Zap Cannon. A powerful ball of electric energy was something he could deal with. A strike of intense plasma from the sky was less manageable. For now. Firebending techniques had spread among his fire types rather quickly once Cinder had come back. None of them had yet managed to cross into the territory of electricity control though. Blaze was working on that even now, with trying to master Thunder Punch, and not letting his flying typing get in the way of its full power.

"Zap Cannon!" Surge ordered, and Alex nodded in response.

"Goku. It's time. Do you think you can manage it?" His Monferno looked back at him, at the ground, and then gave him a thumbs up. Even Alex hadn't quite figured out how to manage producing lightning from control of fire. Goku was confident he could, though. He'd watched the TM for Thunder Punch many times by this point. His Trainer's words during their firebending lesson came back to him, as the Magnezone gathered so much electricity, a hit was all but guaranteed to blow the middle form monkey away, thanks to the difference in level between him and the Magnezone. He took a deep breath, and focused. "It's all just energy." Alex had said. "Firebenders achieve Electricbending by separating the positive and negative charge of their body's inner energy fields, and in the space between, create something new."

Goku did just that, and found it easier than before, given how charged the air was. He was in his stance again, eyes closed, perfectly still but for the shifting flame on his tail. The flame flickered, as he separated the energy flow into what he identified as positive and negative charges and let the friction between them generate electricity. The fur around his right fist stood on end as the charge started to build, and Goku breathed deeply again, encouraging more. Then, all at once, it clicked. Right as the Zap Cannon fired, electricity sparked over Goku's fist, and the Monferno grinned darkly.

He put everything he had into the punch, his only hope of pulling off the plan Alex had in his head. He verbalized it for their audience, as the rapidly moving energy ball fired. "Smash it back! Thunder Punch!"

With the precision of the martial artist he was becoming, and with a perfect demonstration of a Dragon Style punch, Goku hammered the Zap Cannon back at the Magnezone, whose eye went wide as it realized its attack had been redirected. Though resistant to the damage, it was a severely powerful move, hence why one usually needed Lock On to make it hit. Below, Goku was panting slightly, fist smoking as he smirked, and watched the smoke clear. The smirk faded as Magnezone fell through it, and Surge countered. "Don't let it block! Thunderbolt!"

Goku dodged instead, spinning gracefully over the bolt of plasma, as Alex called the move. "Get up beside it with Mach Punch!" In the blink of an eye, Goku was smashing into the Magnezone high in the air with a quick jab that, while effective, was nowhere near enough to finish the round. "Follow with a Flame Wheel!"

"Thunderbolt until it's unconscious." Surge ordered, and as the two Pokémon readied and used their respective moves, something odd happened. The lightning aimed at Goku forked against his spinning attack and smashed into the ground on either side of him, leaving the spinning momentum of the fiery wheel of pain to smash upwards into Magnezone. Seeing the hit had stunned Magnezone, and that it was on its last legs, Alex shouted another move. "Finish it! Fire Punch!"

After wheeling past and above the Magnezone, Goku put both his fists together as they burned with flames and brought them down in an overhead smash on his opponent. Magnezone smashed into the field with enough force to break the ground, and the Drone Rotom called the round as Goku landed, beat his chest, and roared at the crowd of troops, who were whooping. Money was changing hands quite obviously, and it seemed about half had bet on Surge winning the first KO. Alex recalled Goku, swapping him out for Kalagon once more, as Surge recalled his Magnezone. Though he'd dodged very well, grinding through that Thunderbolt with Flame Wheel had almost taken him out in one hit.

Seeing that the baby dragon was out again, and mostly undamaged, Surge frowned. "Electivire." He said, intending to end the nuisance right there. He wasted no time as the burly electric sasquatch appeared with a flash and roared. "Take it down, Electivire. Ice Punch!"

"Kalagon." Alex said, not losing his cool, as the quadruple effective move manifested around Electivire's fists. "Keep dodging. Dig!"

Surge smirked, as Alex sent his Pokémon underground again. "Gotcha." The Electivire gave a dark smirk as the ice on his fists vanished into cold sparkles, and Alex felt that rare but familiar tingle of knowing he'd been baited in a battle. "Electivire, use Earthquake instead!"

"Get back up here, Kalagon!" Alex shouted, but it was too late. Despite his type, the Electivire smashed the ground and produced a sizable Earthquake, as the crowd of troops cheered. Kalagon very much took the hit, but Alex didn't sense him faint. Kalagon had fought through the pain. For him. Being in his head, Alex could sense his thoughts. Yes, he wanted to win, to get stronger, but he also wanted to help his Trainer, and by extension, his teammates, win the World Tournament. Listening to Blaze, Terra, and the other older members had instilled a sense of determination in the young dragon. They were all counting on him to win.

Surge was still smirking, looking very proud of himself. "You can dig out your Gible, General. I'll wait." Surge donned his somewhat iconic black sunglasses then. "But I'd suggest bringing out a war veteran. My team was made quite powerful in our latest conflict. I wouldn't be here, if not for them." Hearing that, the usually hard to read Electivire glanced at his Trainer, nodded slowly, and then suddenly looked down at the ground.

"Don't underestimate my Dragons, Surge. Now, Kalagon! Your fastest Dig!" Like a brown bullet, a very injured Kalagon came up practically right between Electivire's feet, hammering his underjaw as he went sailing upwards. The Electivire rubbed its chin, but otherwise shook off the light hit, despite its super effectiveness. "Now, Earthquake, at max power!" As the brown dragon bullet curved in the air and back towards the ground, Surge grimaced.

His glasses were in his hand, as he shouted, "Don't let it land! Ice Punch!" Electivire reacted quickly, using its surprisingly decent speed to get within punching range. Unfortunately for Surge, gravity, and Kalagon's larger frame, made him slam the ground, before the punch could land. A sudden wave of breaking earth rose up and hammered the grimacing Electivire, as he was kept from his target and swallowed in a rumbling sea of earth that drew yet another cheer from the spectating troops.

As Kalagon landed, the strain of wielding so much ground energy at once on the brink of unconsciousness, pushed the young Gible beyond his limits and enhanced his move all at once. The center of the Earthquake started to shine, as Kalagon finally embraced the Infinity Energy he'd thus far resisted so that he could master Dragon Claw sooner. While he'd learned the move, he lacked actual claws to make it work properly, as his baby ones were too tiny. As he traded tiny fingers for one large talon, that was no longer an issue.

Once the evolution faded, the Drone Rotom scanned the Electivire, and called the match. "Electivire is unable to Battle! The winner is Gabite! Congratulations on your evolution! Please select the next competitors." Kalagon thanked the Drone Rotom, and then fell on his rear, panting heavily, and looking like he was holding back tears.

Surge chose his ball as Alex recalled the injured dragon, and did the same, and they summoned their next picks at the same time. Surge went with an Electrode, which Alex had been expecting, prompting his own sturdy choice. "Adamanteus! Your turn." As the Steelix appeared on the field, he rumbled. "Finally…" As the Drone Rotom began the round, Alex raised a hand, clutching his Key Stone. "Here we go! Mega Evolve!"

Adamanteus roared as his body shone with infinite steel energy and sent him to the next evolutionary stage of his species' potential. Surge acted first. "Electrode! Explosion!"

Alex's eyes widened, as he hadn't expected that so quickly, from Surge. Exploding was their signature move, but he'd have thought whittling down a defensive tank like Mega Steelix would make more sense. "Quick! Coil!" The Mega Steelix did so, as the explosion went off, but despite the defense boost, it did quite a lot of damage. Then, before the smoke completely cleared, Surge had brought out another Electrode as the first one, blackened, unconscious, and grinning rolled behind its Trainer.

"Go ahead, Electrode! Explode!" Surge ordered, laughing as he did so, to the backdrop of cheering troops. Again, the force and flame associated with the attack hammered Adamanteus, but he held on to consciousness thanks to another Coil, and his desire for a proper battle. Seeing the now electromagnetic steel snake was still up, Surge shook his head. "Well, there goes my strategy. I was hoping to get at least one of your Pokémon, if not two. But they couldn't even bring down your Steelix."

"That's right." Alex said, giving him a Max Potion, the only one for this battle, and what would ultimately seal Surge's fate. "Now all you have left is that Raichu of yours. I'd expected better than Explosion spam from a Trainer like you, Colonel."

Surge shrugged nonchalantly. "They love exploding." He said gesturing to the grinning pair of spent spark balls. "And I love winning. You'd be surprised how many Ground Types I take out with those two, and I'm well aware of how many you have on your cape. Come, Raichu." He said, turning and recalling his exploding mines. He didn't personally love their attack style either, but both of them had saved him and his people from many an Arcean ambush, making them veterans of two wars, now.

Adamanteus, now fully healed, uncoiled himself as Raichu appeared, and he towered over the comparatively tiny electric rat. Alex took the initiative. "Crush it! Iron Tail!"

"Dodge with Trailblaze." Surge ordered, and his Raichu did so, shifting out of the way of the Iron Tail effortlessly. A trail of green energy dogged the Raichu's steps. "Now…attack!"

As the Raichu charged far too confidently for Alex's tastes, he gave an order. "Sandstorm!" With a single roar, Adamanteus summoned one, completely stuffing Raichu's momentum with the ferocity of the sudden storm. The troops booed as their view became obscured, and Alex's voice reached their ears.

"If only there was some kind of equipment to help us see in harsh weather." He focused, and then collectively bamfed their harsh weather goggles under their seats from where they were stored in the barracks. "If you'll all direct your attention under your seats…" The crowd of men and women cheered as they saw and donned the equipment. As an afterthought, he recalled the Colonel probably needed some as well. Once he also had a pair, Alex shouted, "Alright Adamanteus! Earthquake!"

"Stay focused, Raichu…wait for the hit, and then get in the air!" Surge roared over the intense wind accompanying the sandstorm. Suddenly, above the localized cloud, the Raichu appeared. His long tail uncoiled from the spring he'd used to get airborne. He seemed largely undamaged. "Excellent. Now, come down on it with Brick Break!"

Taking a page from Pikachu, the World Champion, Raichu's tail glowed with fighting energy, and he rolled forward as he sailed into the sandstorm. That's when Alex gave the counter, "Wrap!" Just as suddenly as it began, the sandstorm subsided, as they sometimes did when created by a move, and not nature. It did however clearly reveal the Mega Steelix, who'd taken quite a lot of damage from Brick Break, now firmly entrapping the Raichu in his electromagnetic coils. Alex gave the Raichu a chance to struggle, but it was going nowhere. Adamanteus's eye shifted back towards him, and Alex nodded. "Now Slam!"

Dazed by the electromagnetism of Mega Steelix, Raichu began looking weak, and then he was spun and smashed out of said electric field, into the shattered ground of the battlefield, which only hurt him further. Even Alex winced at the brutality with which he was thrown. Only Adamanteus seemed unbothered by the pain he'd inflicted with such a masterful Slam, and sure enough, the bar depicting Raichu's health on their Drone Rotom went to zero.

Surge made it two steps towards his partner, before the rocks started levitating out of his way. Alex was there, in a flash, as Adamanteus watched on, silently. "A bit rough, that Steelix…" Surge said, as he saw his partner, and winced.

Alex held out a large palm over the fainted electric mouse, as his other hand fed it a Revive. Then, came the Heal Pulse. Any more serious injuries mended, rapidly, as did bruises, sore muscles, and the irregularity of the Raichu's own electric field. "I think the reaction between their energy fields may have had something to do with how hard your friend here took the hit…" Alex said, as the Raichu came to consciousness, and groaned. "I'm still going to have a talk with Adamanteus, though. Easy there, Raichu. You're healed, but you need to take a few days to fully recover. He's on bedrest, Colonel. I think you'll find Nurse Joy has a similar opinion."

The Raichu mumbled something about bedrest, and then was out again, snoozing peacefully. Surge recalled him, and then the two both noticed the Drone Rotom hovering above them. "Raichu is unable to Battle, and thanks to the Dragon Emperor, not seriously injured! The victory goes to Steelix, and his Trainer. Congratulations on reaching the Great Class! The rankings will now be updated."

Alex watched his score rise, from Normal to Great Class. The border of his projected stat card became blue instead of red, and he found himself in the bottom tier of the Great Class. While Surge's rank dropped, he was still much higher than Alex was in the rankings for their class. As Surge went off towards the troops, Alex approached Adamanteus. The Mega Steelix stared him down, as if daring him to criticize his actions, and Alex gave him an appropriate amount of silence, before saying, "That was a bit harsh, Adamanteus."

The Mega Steelix lowered his head to his Trainer's eye level. "Be the Best." He rumbled. His Mega Form faded, as their hearts shifted out of alignment. "You told us that. All of us. I won."

Alex nodded. "You did. But being the Best doesn't mean we abuse our power. You knew the Raichu was out of it, and you didn't have to release the Slam so it hit the ground. You were in control enough to deal exactly as much damage as necessary, and you went for the maximum." Adamanteus growled, writhing before him, and Alex held up a hand. "I'm not saying you did anything wrong, in terms of Battling. I'm just saying, in the future, try to be more mindful about your opponent's wellbeing. We're Battling right now as a sport, not in war, and not how you do in the wild."

Adamanteus snarled again. "I do not know your kind of Battling. You rarely pick me."

Alex nodded. "And that will change. As you're aware, you joined us at a much higher level of strength than the others. You haven't need as much training, because you're already strong. The rest of your teammates are at or near your level now, though, and I will use you more. To get you used to the level of power we expend during a Battle, while still trying to avoid serious injury. It's a delicate balance to achieve, but I believe you can do it as well as the others, Adamanteus. You just need practice. Now take a well-earned rest."

Slowly nodding, the Steelix returned to the comfort of his ball. Alex shot into the air then, gave the troops who saw him a salute, and then headed towards where he sensed Ladybug practicing her new powers. As he came over where he sensed the unique combination of Tikki and her human's powers, a web radiating electricity shot towards him, and he barrel rolled out of its path.

No other webs came towards him as he landed, and he found Ladybug flushed and fiddling with her web shooter as he came down for a soft landing. "Sorry about that…" Ladybug said, clearly embarrassed. "I'm working on a new Move and it…fired off early." She finally fixed her shooter and flexed it a few times before it zipped back into the new black and red exoskeleton-like casing on her forearm. "How was the match? I take it you won?"

Alex nodded. "Barring any more incidents, I was planning on going to Galar, and Battling my way down through Kalos and Paldea. Maybe hitting up a few more regions, before looping back to the States. Do you and Night Cat want to join me?"

Ladybug looked like she wanted to politely decline, but curiosity made her say, "Wouldn't having more Trainers with you make things harder? Or at least slower?"

Alex shrugged. "We can Battle people multiple times. And the more people who help make the food between matches, the better it tastes. But don't feel obligated, I'm sure you have Holiday things to attend to in Kalos."

Ladybug pondered, then shook her head. "Not yet. I think my team would actually benefit from a trip. They need to get stronger. I can see my parents when we pass through Kalos. I know they'd be honored to meet our Emperor."

Alex chuckled somewhat awkwardly. "In that case, you guys can Battle first. Given how popular the World Tournament is, we probably won't have a problem finding opponents. But on our way down I need to have a chat with the local Professors."

As Alex prepared to Teleport back, Ladybug tilted her head at him. "Why do you need the Professors?"

Alex paused in his mental telelocating, and opened one eye to look at his apprentice. "I've decided to try taming one of every Pokémon species. The Professors have access to quite a large number of rare lines."

Ladybug frowned. "One of…all the Pokémon lines!? How original… You seemed busy enough already. How will you manage even more partners?"

Alex chuckled, and nodded, closing his eyes again. "It is admittedly quite a lot, though I'm not going for every Legendary or Mythical. Some, like my Flygon and Gallade, have gone on to live their best lives…away from mine. There will be more who eventually decide to leave, I'm sure…so the plan is to collect who I need over time, and line by line, help them realize their full potential."

"Is there a reason you chose such a difficult and stereotypical goal?" She asked.

Alex nodded. "To create a…support network, of sorts. One filled with either Pokémon I've trained, or their descendants. One that can respond to any rising disasters or threats quickly, all over the planet. That's the goal anyway. The reality might look…different."

Ladybug just stared at him, shaking her head in disbelief. "That would take…lifetimes, Alex. And who will care for your partners when you inevitably get old?"

Alex chuckled. "According to Tao, I'm functionally immortal because of…reasons. So, I have nothing But time, and with that time, I'm going to try to make this world flourish. It may be fruitless, I may have nothing to show for my efforts when I do eventually die, as all things must. All I build now may very well burn down in the end, as the efforts of Emperors so often have once they pass, but I refuse to spend my eternity with regret over not even trying to use my gift of long life to improve Humanity. We can be so much better than we are now."

As the Teleport energy started glowing, Tikki split from her human, leaving her in her red and black spotted pajamas once again. She addressed Marinette, "You will live a long time too, Ladybug. So will Night Cat. Maybe you could help Alex with his goal?"

Marinette shook her head on instinct. "I'm…not the best Trainer." She gave her master a smirk. "Not yet at least. I'm nowhere near good enough to keep up with you, Alex."

Alex spoke with finality as he readied the Teleport to include Tikki. "Marinette, you may be one of the only people who could keep up with me, in this regard. Do you want to know the real secret to training strong Pokémon?" She nodded after a brief pause, and Alex continued. "It's love. I know that sounds corny, but once you and your partners have a strong enough bond, you'll understand what I'm talking about. The more you care for each other, the harder they'll Battle for you. The power your bonds can create will take you to heights you probably never thought you could reach. Give your team some breakfast. Bond with them. You'll see your strength grow rapidly."

Marinette barely had time to process his words before a giant hand grabbed her shoulder, and Tikki's hand grabbed hers. "He's right, you know." She said in her Trainer's head, and then suddenly, they were back outside the Palace of Ideals. She took in the ancient carving of Tao above the main entrance, and then the two later added carvings of Zekrom flanking the doors. As they entered the palace's winding entry hallway that had started to be filled by local artists with scenes from Unova's history, and even more contemporary scenes depicting the return of the Dragon Empire, she said, "I'll go and get Night Cat, and my team. When do we leave?"

Alex chuckled. "Get some food, first. Do some training. Bond. I have a few…Imperial duties to deal with before we depart."

Marinette sighed, fully expecting him to bamf away again, but she nodded and hurried off to do as instructed. Alex found his own team and recalled most of them onto his cape. Po and Canis were the exceptions. His first stop was the Enterprise, as even then, he knew Jimen was waiting on him to alleviate his guard duty over Vaatu and the stump that was Ozai. The mechanics told him their flagship was half finished, but work was proceeding faster, now that they had designs for technology that could and had functioned in space at humanity's peak. The Palace had many large underground chambers the further one went, and the Imperial government had made full use of them for building their space fleet in secrecy.

While there, Alex found Aurea Juniper and Professor Bianca hard at work, and imposed on them for a moment. They noticed him as he entered their work area, and the older woman smiled and waved, while the younger stood at attention. Alex just chuckled. "You can relax, Professor. I'm not here as an Emperor, but as a Trainer. I'd like to know where the local Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott lines reside, as I'd like to add each to my team."

The women shared a look. "Their habitats are a secret, even to regional leaders, Emperor Redwood…sir." Bianca said shakily. "We can't risk anyone disrupting the-"

Professor Juniper cut her off. "In the southwestern forests of the Unova Region, you'll find what you're looking for, young Redwood." She chuckled, and then looked at Bianca. "Alex is much like his Granduncle, Bianca. We don't need to worry about him disrupting the Pokémon. In fact, given whose Tamer he is, he might even help bring them into better Balance. You'll want to look just northwest of Floccesy Ranch."

Bianca paused, as that was not where the starters resided, but she did know who lived in that part of the region, and assumed her mentor had a reason for sending the Original Dragon's Tamer towards them. "Right…well, as long as he keeps what he finds secret, there shouldn't be an issue. If you'll excuse us…we really should get back to work."

Alex had picked up that Juniper both was and was not telling the truth, but he let it slide. He trusted her wisdom, as his Gruncle had always claimed she was a good person, and quite intelligent. The ideal person to handle the young Trainers of Unova proper. Having been to Aspertia before, it would be no trouble to get to the ranch. He thanked the Professors for their time, and bamfed away.

He brought Goku out as they strolled along the route to the ranch and he had him battle the numerous Trainers they met on the road. By the time they reached the ranch, Alex was in the top thirteen hundred of the Great Class, and he was genuinely surprised he'd gone up so far. At one point, he asked the Drone Rotom, still the same one who'd thus far covered all his matches, why he was rising so fast. The response had been both accurate and informative. "Trainers who have unbroken and lengthy win streaks rise quicker through the ranks. It is possible to rise through both the Great and Ultra classes in a shorter period of time if you manage to go longer without losing."

So far, Alex and his team hadn't lost a match, but with this knowledge, he started using his stronger partners when a random road Trainer wanted a World Tournament battle. He still trained his younger members on wild Pokémon who wanted to test him, and road Trainers who just wanted a simple battle, and thankfully, they understood why. Adamanteus in particular handled most of the World Tournament matches on their way to and through the ranch, and Alex noted he was at least making an effort to not be so brutal with his attacks. Terra had also spoken with him and had promised that the later battles in the tournament, should he be picked for them, would be as intense as Adamanteus wanted them. He was much like Shruikan, with that mindset.

As they finally reached the area the Professor had mentioned, Alex cast his mind out for a Snivy, or Tepig, or a source of water that might be home to an Oshawott. Instead, he found only the usual forest dwelling Pokémon, and then, several humans who were surrounding him and his Kung Fu monkey. Alex simply crossed his arms, though he sensed malicious intent, and assumed they had ranged weapons of some description aimed at him. "I know you're there. I come in peace. Let's not start a needless conflict."

He sensed them speaking, as most people formed the words for what they said in their head, just before saying them. He didn't intrude on what was said, though. Finally, one of them strode from the bushes, wearing clothing very similar in style to what Damon of his Elite Four usually wore. Though the man who appeared had the dark black straight hair of a Tribe member, his face was as pale as Alex's. "There is every need, stranger. You have intruded on grounds sacred to my clan. Leave, and we won't attack you."

"Attack me, and you'll be starting a war with Unova, and every other State in the Dragon Empire." He sensed the tension rise, and Goku fell into a fighting crouch, but neither side struck first. The man looked confused, so Alex continued. "I am the latest Dragon Emperor. Alex Redwood. I have no wish to hurt you. Professor Juniper sent me out here…and I'm guessing it was to meet you, and your…clan. What do you call yourselves?"

The others in the clan, all similar in dress, though not in appearance, joined their comrade. There were four in all, and several did indeed have the traits he'd come to associate with members of the Tribes, be it the hair or skin tones. They murmured among themselves, before the pale skinned man spoke again. "Our ancestors called themselves Draconids. We also take that name."

Alex smirked, and though he tried to reach out to Tao, the Original Dragon simply told him to investigate, if he wanted to learn of these people so badly. Professor Aristole had been thorough with his lessons, and more than once, the clan of Dragon Tamers had come up. Famous for traveling the entirety of the globe, there was barely a single region where one could not find some ancient trace of their culture. The scholars of 'this age' as Aristole had called them, believed the Draconids to be long dead or dispersed, but Aristole had claimed that the Draconids had always lived in smaller clans, and had their own methods of forming them to avoid inbreeding or too many mouths to feed. All of them could, however, trace their lineage back to the Hooligan Tribe of Neuberke.

During the Dark Times, they had been systematically targeted by a number of powerful Shadow wielders, which had directly led to their 'decline'. Aristole had guaranteed Alex that they did still exist in pockets across the world, not advertising their presence, and staying hidden, lest some other lunatic wipe them out for being who they were. He'd also said that, as Alex had the dragon typing, he definitely had at least one ancestor who was of the Draconid's lineage, as they were the only humans who regularly gained such power, aside from those in Norstad.

Alex looked up from where his eyes had rested as he'd pondered their words, though barely a few seconds had passed. "If you are Draconids, you need not fear me. I am a descendent of your clans, apparently, and a friend to all people who reside in my Empire." He let his aura burn to life then, and the group gasped. Both sides fulfilled their expectations of the other, the Dragon Emperor had a mighty draconic aura, and the Draconids were psychically sensitive enough to tell what kind of power the deep blue aura gave off naturally. "I would like to speak with your leader, if I could."

The four nodded, and in short order introduced themselves, and guided him to their well-hidden village. The genetic diversity only increased as Alex saw more examples of clan members. Some were from Eous, some had the pale tones only found in Galar, while others had the tanned tones of brown that only Alola's sun could give a human. Moreover, each of them had Pokémon working beside them in their chores or tasks, though most were not dragon typed. Despite their primitive buildings, they did have some technology, namely Pokéballs, and within their wooden domiciles that seemed to have been grown from multiple trees purposefully bent and shaped to form a house, he even spied televisions, and basic amenities like refrigerators.

As he was brought before the Chief of this particular clan, Alex found him kneeling on a pillow that sat in front of an ancient shrine. As he examined the shrine first, he blinked. While the surrounding architectural style was different, it was otherwise identical to the shrine Pacha had used in Selva Muerta. Unlike that shrine though, this one was more recently constructed, and he sensed a Pokémon within it. Alex bowed before the old man leading the clan then and took in his features. His lineage was of the far east, though where specifically, Alex could not tell, as he was not an easterner. Given who he was talking to, his family line could likely extend all across Eous. "Greetings, young Dragon Emperor." The old man said in a cracked voice, likely from disuse or age. "Damon told us you might visit one day. It seems you are indeed the one."

Alex raised an eyebrow at the Chief. "The one…to do what?"

The Chief chuckled. "The one to raise this little one. A time lost straggler, left in our care by Celebi." He whistled then, but nothing happened. With a sigh, the old man turned towards the shrine. "You need to come out, for this one. Come."

Alex heard a tiny sigh from inside the hollow shrine, and then, a rather young Oshawott crawled out of the shrine on its stomach and stretched. Alex could tell he was freshly hatched, as he didn't even have a Scalchop yet. Maybe a few days old, at most. Alex locked eyes with the little one, and he saw a fire there that was surprisingly strong, for one so fresh to the world. A Pokémon this young, that had been saved by Celebi, had probably seen some things to give him a look like that.

Alex reached out psychically to the little one and sensed his emotions. Sadness, confusion, overarching hopelessness and a desire to become stronger. "You wish for strength." Alex said, and though the baby Oshawott didn't know Common and barely knew Pokéspeech, he somehow understood the words the large human was using. "I can help you achieve it." He brought up a Luxury Ball then, letting the cautious otter sniff it. "It will be difficult. At times, it will hurt. Are you sure you want to walk the path of Battle?"

The tiny otter rose unsteadily to his feet, and then fixed the human with a stern look. "Oshawott!" There were no words to translate, but Alex still understood his meaning.

"Alright then." Alex said, smirking. "In you go, little one." He booped the baby otter's snoot, and his tiny eyes widened as he experienced a Pokéball for the first time. After it dinged green, Alex chuckled as the ball rolled around in his hand as its new occupant explored the interior, but eventually, it stopped moving, as the tiny otter succumbed to the warm safety that all Luxury Balls included. "You will be Maromnis (Mare-om-nis)." He looked at the elder then. "I'll train him well…did Celebi have any instructions once he's trained up?"

The old man nonchalantly sipped on some tea that he produced from somewhere within his robes. "One day, he will return here. On that day…make sure you've said your goodbyes. He might not return to this time zone."

Alex nodded quietly, guessing that Maromnis would ultimately be better off back in his own time period. The old man spoke again, as Alex was pondering. "Join us for a meal, Dragon Emperor. Your partners, too. Assuming you haven't had breakfast yet. Alex was about to decline, when his stomach answered for him with a loud rumble. "Breakfast sounds great, actually. Assuming you don't mind hosting us."

The old man hobbled up to his feet and then down from the shrine. "It is an honor to host a Dragon Emperor. I hope our meager meal lives up to your standards."

Alex waved an oversized hand. "I'm sure it'll be good. I'll eat pretty much anything."

The meal turned out to be mostly healthy and full of berries, and the conversation was focused almost entirely on figuring out where in the Redwood family tree they had gained Draconid genes. Alex answered what he could about his now passed family members, but realistically, all he remembered or had been told about was his Gruncle's generation, which also had included his own grandfather, who he didn't recall meeting.

Alex managed to turn the conversation to Damon, as of all of his Elite Four, he knew the least about him. Will was fairly famous, every Unovan knew of Shauntal at this point, and Nick was an old friend. The Elite Four's Dragon Tamer wasn't just aloof with his Champion though, even his own clan called him a loner who'd preferred the company of dragons to people. Nobody had been too surprised when he declared he was leaving on a journey.

Apparently, Damon had recently returned home, just in time for Celebi to appear. They had a message for the clan, and psychically beseeched them to have their greatest Dragon Tamer train up the baby Oshawott that Celebi had brought with it. Damon had refused the little one, claiming he wasn't their best Dragon Tamer. He'd left shortly after that, and then several days later, Alex had wandered in, looking for Unova's starters, but only finding an Oshawott.

Alex thanked the clan for the meal and their information, and then headed back to the palace as quickly as he'd left. The entire team had breakfast by that point, and Jess had already bamfed her team out west. She was deathly serious about competing in the World Tournament, and didn't want her fiancé, a Trainer favored to end up a finalist, seeing how her new team was growing. Some of the older members, like Terra, Empolia, or Chari didn't like the idea of separating, especially since both humans were adding new siblings to their respective rosters, but Alex and Jess overruled them, claiming there would be plenty of time to meet their new siblings once the Tournament was settled.

Alex eventually found Marinette, Adrien, and Connor waiting for him in the chamber they were using to store and feed all the Pokémon. Alex and Connor clasped hands as they met and gave a brief but very manly greeting as they both uttered the other's first name. "I didn't know if you were free to join us." Alex said, as he released his former neighbor's hand.

Connor smirked at him. "It's not like the League is in session right now. Did you ever get to that backlog of Victory League challengers?"

"Ahahah. Yep. Kinda. If having them be crushed by Hilbert counts as getting to it, then I definitely did." Alex said awkwardly. "Right then. First, we're off to the Galar Region. Everybody link hands." They did so, and in short order they appeared in Wyndon City, causing a bit of a stir as they appeared. As the Trainers in the crowd recognized them, Alex realized both he and Connor had left without proper disguises.

Seeing Alex's internal panic face, Connor raised his voice to the crowd that was now growing and taking their phones out. "We're not here for autographs." He held up a black, white, and blue Pokéball in challenge. "We're here to Battle!" Someone in the crowd answered him with a challenge of their own, and just like that, Connor was off.

The other three with him disappeared as Connor drew their eyes, and they subtly moved into the crowd as they kept their heads down and reconvened at the field Connor was battling on. Calling it a battle was generous, for as soon as the Drone Rotom began the match, Connor resorted to his classic strategy of using his starter and no one else. In the blink of an eye, Gren had taken down his Galarian Linoone opponent in seconds, with an unblockable Brick Break.

Connor just shook his head at his opponent and recalled Gren. The Drone Rotom spoke, then. "Contestant Gladstone, please report to the Wyndon Stadium for your Battle to determine your entry into the Ultra Class!"

As the drone flew off, Connor just stared at it, and sighed. He looked back at the group then. "Looks like I'm already in the top tier. I'll meet you guys in the Wild Area, for this 'surplus' of World Tournament Trainers, once I'm done. Laters."

He strolled off then, not a care in his stride, and Alex just nodded. He looked at the teens, then. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of being behind in the rankings. Once we hit the Wild Area, I say we split up." The teens nodded in agreement. "I'll head to the southern entrance, and move westward, or clockwise. Adrien, start in the west and move northward, Marinette start outside the Hammerlocke entrance, and head east. I'd advise offering to heal your opponent's Pokémon once you've finished Battling. It'll make them easier for the rest of us to challenge."

The two teens nodded, and hopped on their flying Pokémon as they headed south to the Wild Area. Marinette split off first, landing just outside Hammerlocke. Adrien continued on uninterrupted. Alex circled around his apprentice as Shruikan banked in a large circle. "If you need help, just shout for Lux!" She gave him a thumbs up, and he nodded in return, spurring Shruikan onwards.

Alex guided him low over the fields on purpose, as the Wild Area was properly packed with Trainers of all classes, duking it out. Feeling unnoticed, Shruikan roared, and got their attention. The roar was enough to vibrate the air and made more than a few younger Trainers look up in awe. Shruikan eyed their potential matches, and landed before a Dragon Tamer who was cleaning his Dragapult.

The two male dragons locked eyes, and Shruikan snarled a challenge as lightning sparked around his toothy maw, which the Dragapult answered with narrowed eyes. He went intangible, and the grime and bubbles covering him fell to the ground. He roared in response, and Alex tilted his head, as apparently the ghost dragon had simply been enjoying the sensation of being washed, rather than actually needing one. His Trainer leveled a Pokéball at Alex after donning his bluish-purple cape. "You get around quickly, Dragon Emperor. As expected of a Salamence rider. Come! Let us test our Dragon's strength!"

Alex smirked from under his hat. Shruikan had no intention of passing this one off to Kalagon. "Very well. Shruikan!" His black Salamence roared again, and the pair of incredibly fast dragons began dueling in the air barely a second after the Drone Rotom who'd appeared suddenly had started the match. Alex had to hold onto his hat as Plasma Bombs collided with Dragon Darts and sent concussive waves of force over those on the ground. Wherever this Dragon Tamer was from, he and his partner had trained hard. A quick glance at his human opponent confirmed he too was enjoying the battle. It was hard to remember that not so long ago, he was daydreaming about being in a battle like this, and once more Alex quietly thanked Arceus that this was his life now.

Sahqoreyth · Apr 21, 2024

Chapter 52: Odyssey of Ascendance, Part 1

The Wild Area - Galar Region

Being right outside the train station was a good way to get a crowd, Alex found, as Plasma Bombs and Draco Meteors started shaking the area violently with the sheer power of the pair of dragon types clashing in the skies. "Dodge, Shruikan! Dragon Dance!" For the third time, Shruikan danced gracefully through his opponent's Draco Meteor, as the Dragapult's special attacks became well and truly useless.

Shruikan arced up above the Dragapult he was battling, and let his wings flare as they blocked out the sun. Alex and his opponent called their moves at the same time.

"Dragon Rush!"

"Dragon Hammer!"

Shruikan rolled forwards, bringing his tail down as he summoned the dragon energy for the attack into it, while the Dragapult aimed itself, and then shot upwards. Its dragon energy appeared around it like a veil extending from the pointed tip of its snout, and it charged boldly, head first, towards Shruikan. As the moves collided, the more powerful dragon of the pair, in this case Shruikan, fared better. While damaging, his Dragon Hammer struck true through the Dragon Rush, and from the cloud of smoke their colliding moves created, the Dragapult came down and smashed into the earth like a meteor.

Seeing there were more civilians around them, Alex barely had time to summon a Barrier around the Dragapult's impact site. Unnoticed by his eyes, another figure had stepped in with blinding speed to smash the debris caused by the Dragapult's impact, only to find it handily blocked by said Barrier. Alex stared as he lowered the psychic move, finding a Single Strike Urshifu standing behind it. It slowly fell out of its stance, as it watched Shruikan descend, victorious from the sky, and land. He roared then, and glancing around, Alex noted many Trainers with various first form dragon types who had, apparently, been called out to watch this clash of high leveled titans.

As they heard the roar, the younger dragons bowed their heads, and Shruikan raised his, rising up to his full height. Alex reached up with his long arms and gave him chin scritches and a Sitrus Berry, before heading towards the Urshifu. Seeing him coming, the black and white bear started to turn away and leave, which was when Po leapt out of his ball. "Saitama! Brother!" He shouted, and the sound of his voice made the Urshifu stop.

He turned, and raised an eyebrow. "Po…?" Po, for his part, was already running, and stumbling, towards him. He slid to a stop before his puzzled expression. "Why…are you in Galar? What about the old one?"

As Po began explaining why he'd left and how he'd come to be in Galar, murmurs erupted through the crowd. "It is! It's him!" "Oh wow, the Champion!" Alex kept an eye on the Urshifu, though it didn't seem like it would attack, as he turned to take in the newcomer. It was indeed the latest 'unbeatable Galarian Champion', Victor, in the flesh. He wasn't much younger than Alex, probably around Elio's age, but unlike the Alolan Champion, Victor had started growing some facial hair. It was in a pattern similar to Alex's but Alex could tell he hadn't shaved it often enough, as most of it still seemed more like peach fuzz than true wiry beard hair.

As Alex looked back at Po, namely since the Urshifu had raised his voice, Victor looked their way too. "You were supposed to be helping the old one! He can't survive on his own power anymore! Idiot!" The Urshifu snarled, and Po's body seemed to deflate. As Victor headed towards what Alex surmised was probably his Urshifu, their eyes met, and a smirk lifted the Galar Champion's mouth. His gaze briefly darted to his Pokemon, who had gone from clenching his fists, to pinching his brow, as Po continued trying to account for his need to leave their homeland. Then, seeing it wasn't going to attack, he looked back at Alex. "Wots all this then? I'd heard we 'ad a visiting Champion. Redwood, right? From Unova?" He held out a hand.

Alex gripped and shook it, applying a small amount of pressure, as he always did. With handshakes, and hands as large as his, he tended to match the grip strength of whoever he met, or just use a small amount of pressure. Victor matched it, and pulled his hand away, as he eyed their Pokémon. "Seems like moi Urshifu knows your…Kubfu…though honestly mate, I don't…think that is a Kubfu…it looks a bit, ehh…different."

"You think so?" Alex said, tilting his head. Slowly, he brought up his Pokédex, which made Victor smirk. The Galarian entry for Kubfu was recited, and Alex had it scan him just to be sure. The device dinged, and again repeated the entry for Kubfu.

Victor shrugged. "I guess it is a Kubfu…just a fluffier…smiley-er…one."

By that point, the battle-loving bears were seemingly done conversing, and with a grunt towards Victor, Po's elder brother returned to his ball with a look on its stern face somewhere between disappointment, and sadness. The hard-style martial artist didn't let his emotions show, but Alex could tell from his eyes that hearing the old bear who'd raised them was gone by now was hitting him on an emotional level. Po hadn't shared how his mentor had passed, but Alex could tell he'd had longer to deal with the reality of mortality. Apparently, Victor's Urshifu was younger in terms of emotional age, repressing such feelings, whereas Po, probably on instinct, had accepted that his guardian's time had come, and had done so a while ago. "I think I'll…sleep too." Po said, and Alex nodded, recalling him.

"Get a good rest, Po. You'll see plenty of action in Paldea." He felt the ball shudder in response, and then put it on his cloak.

Then, he noticed. Victor, and much of the crowd, were staring at him. "You talk to 'im like you understand'im."

Alex smirked. Many people, by this point, tried confirming if that rumor was true with roundabout questions. Given the history of Pokémon rights in Unova particularly, and N disappearing into an Ultra Wormhole, a headline which had made world news, he guessed Victor assumed it was a sensitive subject. "I can. The Harmonia's gift has been granted to me, the current Dragon Emperor. I understand Pokémon as easily as you understand me, now. It's all just Common, to me."

"Fascinating." Victor said, sounding genuine. "I bet the Prof would love to ask you sum questions."

Alex tilted his head. "Professor Sonia?" Victor nodded, and Alex smirked slightly. "I'd be honored to meet the authority on Galar's ancient history. My Granduncle was always impressed with how she, and I quote, "Untangled the ClusterMuk of fabrications, folktales, and fairytales" that Galar used to teach as its history."

With no discernible motion, Victor summoned his Rotophone. "I'll give ya her number." Alex nudged Lux, who floated out again, and exchanged information with Victor's device. "I gotta be off now, jus' came after Saitama. Good luck in the World Tournament, eh Redwood? P'raps we'll be seein' each other before too long."

Alex smirked at him. "If you want that streak of yours to stay unbroken, you should hope to face someone else." The two Trainers chuckled then, shared a nod of respect, and then Victor was off, dashing towards the Corviknight Taxi he'd summoned. Returning to the task at hand, Alex turned to the crowd then, but instead of battle, all they sought was his autograph. One of the littles asked to see his Charizard, which fed Blaze's ego, but Alex found he couldn't disappoint those big eyes. He listened closely as the crowd murmured, and was immensely satisfied when these longtime Leon fans gauged Blaze to be around Leon's level, at least.

Alex promised them a match to remember, a true Charizard v. Charizard showdown, and then flew away from the train station to his part of his party's circular route. Po got the most experience, as the Trainers they found were at his level, though Noir switched in later, as they came to an area he could only describe as haunted. An old watch tower from a time when humanity was much more primitive. Though the ancients had eventually wielded magic and vast armies of Pokémon, they'd all had to claw their way back from the ruins of the old Earth first. Such towers had likely been quite necessary, especially if any enterprising bandits of the era had found a way to bond with the local Pokémon. Now, all that remained were ghost types, and ghost Trainers. Noir Night Slashed his way through all of them.

Before Alex knew it, the sun was setting, and his loop was ending. Eventually, he'd run into conquests of his teenaged teammates, many of whom were unwilling to lose a third time, and were well aware of his rank in the Victory League. He'd managed to convince a few of those to have simple, friendly battles, but it seemed of all of them, Adrien had gained the most battle experience throughout the day. Connor called Lux once the trio had reunited and set up camp, and soon he joined them, insisting that they have curry for dinner, something Alex was very down for, as was his team. The Kalosians had apparently never had curry, but they, and their teams, were big fans of Connor's cooking and Alex's effort.

The next morning, they traveled by train to Wedgehurst and through Motostoke. Alex and Connor soon learned that Galarians did not, in fact, have battles on their trains, but the conductor and his staff were so used to Unovan passengers, that they'd eventually added a car specifically for battling. It was rickety though, damaged from another battle, and the two rivals agreed they probably shouldn't duke it out in such unstable surroundings. In the end, they'd actually pooled their currency and offered it to the conductor to get the cart fixed and properly outfitted for battles. There was also enough in the final sum for general maintenance, for several years.

After surveying the skill level of Wedgehurst's Trainers, Alex and Connor agreed to let the teens take them on, as neither of them had Pokémon low level enough for decent matches, and given most were little kids, they probably wouldn't be World Tournament contestants. Connor decided to update his outfit at the local clothes shop, which left Alex to call and then visit Professor Sonia's lab, which wasn't far away. A downright ancient elderly woman spoke to him, as Blaze came in for a landing. "Ahh, good. Leon dear, could you help me with these Berries? My back is aching something- oh!" She exclaimed, and then smiled as she saw her visitor was not her strong, useful grandson-in-law. "Pardon me, dear. I heard a Charizard's wingbeats, and just assumed…"

Alex smiled at her. "Professor Magnolia, right? I can help you, it's really no problem." She thanked him, and then exclaimed, as he levitated the vegetables with ease.

"Oh! Oh my! Well-mannered, and a skilled Psychic!" She peered closer at him then, and Alex let her, as her eyes were very clearly old. Then, he saw recognition in them. "Ahh. Now that's a Redwood if ever I saw one. You must be the Grandnephew. Alexander, right?" She glanced at him, and then at Blaze, who was also carrying berries, and had plopped a Tomato Berry into his toothy maw, munching happily as he took advantage of the kind old human's offer to help himself to her harvest. "I see they finally let you have Pokémon. And judging by how healthy that Charizard is, I'm betting you're quite a Trainer! I'm afraid I don't follow the Leagues too closely anymore."

Alex chuckled. "I'm the reigning Unovan Champion, at the moment. If that helps. Now, where did you want these…?"

Magnolia, as she insisted on being called now that she lacked a Professor's coat, showed him where she wanted the berries, and rattled off a number of other chores besides, all of which Alex handled fairly easy with minimal psychic effort. About five minutes after they'd sat down and chatted while the lab cleaned itself, Professor Sonia walked in as Magnolia said she would.

After introducing himself, and getting her some tea, he finally asked the question that brought him to the lab in the first place. "What brings me down here today is…curiosity mostly. I'd like to know where the starter evolution lines like to reside here in Galar. If that's alright."

Sonia twirled a red-orange lock of hair as she looked him over, and then glanced at Magnolia. "That's…private information for a reason…but seeing as how you're a Champion…" She tilted her head. "We don't have a Grookey right now, but we do have a Scorbunny and a Sobble. They're harder to find, especially Sobble, but I have another one coming in soon."

Alex nodded. If there were no Grookey here, he could find one elsewhere. He knew from past tournaments that once in the Ultra Class, there would be a lot of traveling by plane to find his matches. He preferred a wild Grookey from Selva Muerta or Old Africa anyway. "I have a Cinderace already, actually. I'll have a look at the Sobble, if that's okay." Sonia led him into a side room then, where the aforementioned Scorbunny was asleep. He looked around for the Sobble, and caught it vanishing into invisibility on the ceiling, as new people entered the room. At that moment, Cinder popped out, as the Scorbunny was in the process of waking up at the sound of new arrivals. He greeted the smol bun, who was looking up at Cinder with awe. Cinder asked him if he wanted to practice his footwork, and the two fire rabbits enthusiastically scurried outside to toss a flaming pebble around. Sonia left to go make sure a child form's lack of skill didn't burn down her lab, leaving Alex alone in the room seemingly by himself.

Deciding patience was the best way forward, he sat in the center of the room cross-legged, and waited. Then, though it was very faint, he heard the Sobble muttering, and smirked. "This Human is strange. Older than the ones that the Professor usually shows me. But he's just randomly sitting on the floor. Subject number sixty nine, verdict; investigate further."

Alex chuckled to himself as he heard the analytical Sobble. "Heh. Nice." The soft sounds of damp sticky feet plodding along the ceiling and then the wall filled his ears. Then, again, came the murmuring.

"Subject seems to be…asleep?" Alex opened his eyes suddenly then, and let them shine with blue energy. The Sobble briefly lost his camouflage, and panicked, but kept making observational notes. "Holy Arceus! He's psychic! And my cover is blown! Abort! Abort!"

Alex chuckled loudly as the Sobble scurried away, more visible now, as he was drying out. "Cover fading…can't reach my bowl…this may be…the end for me! Mom, I…I failed, I'm sorry…"

Alex watched as the Sobble became visible again, crouched, scared, shaking, but oddly enough, not crying. Alex glanced at his bowl, and focused for a moment. With a guiding hand motion, he sent a fresh stream of water over the small cowering chameleon. "It's alright, little guy." Alex finally said, "You're hidden again. But you don't need to hide, I'm not going to hurt you."

He hid the glow from his eyes, but kept the power, using it to keep track of where the Sobble was. After a moment, he realized he was invisible again, and started muttering his narration once more, as he scurried back onto the ceiling. "By some miracle I still have cover! Subject seems non-hostile…and I can understand him better than the other sixty eight…more investigation is needed."

It was at this point that Alex stopped goofing around. "If you're so curious about me, young Sobble, why don't you come down here, and ask your questions?"

There was a brief pause as once again he understood the human perfectly. "Subject seems capable of speaking like Pokémon. Fascinating…I must learn more. Agent Bubble O7…descending!" A trail of Sobble slime appeared from the ceiling then, landing right in front of Alex. He hid his instinctual disgust, as the slimy mucus string wobbled with the invisible Sobble's descent. Finally, he appeared before Alex.

He stared at the human for a long, awkward moment, neither side saying anything, before he raised his tiny bubble-covered hand to his mouth and murmured, "Subject seems to have gone mute."

Alex chuckled. "Normally the person walking up to someone else speaks first."

The Sobble's eyes went wide, and he murmured to his hand again. "Once more, I still understand him…" Alex watched, bemused, as the young Pokémon finally noticed. His big eyes narrowed slightly. "Human…can you…understand me?" Alex nodded. "Have you been able to understand me this whole time?" Again Alex nodded, and the smirk widened.

"I've actually been looking for a Sobble. Someone good at being stealthy. Someone who, eventually, will be a spy for me. Once they're an Inteleon. That will be your primary mission, should you choose to accept it." Alex said, still smirking. "Interested?"

The Sobble eyed him with skepticism. "How do I know you can make me strong enough to evolve? The sixty eight before you were all incompetent noobs! Even that one Champion guy was just a giant jerk…"

Alex briefly wondered where he'd learned all these words, and which Champion he meant, before saying, "Hydrus." His first water type appeared in the small room, and upon seeing the Sobble, flexed his muscles, making them bulge quite a bit. It was at this point that Professor Sonia returned, eyeing Hydrus in surprise and then with a different look altogether as she saw the bulging biceps that were as defined as Leon's. She blinked and looked down as the Sobble waddled over to her, and pointed at Alex. "That one." He said, nodding at Alex. Sonia looked up at Alex, as Hydrus returned to his ball with a satisfied smirk.

"Champion Mikolaj of the Polska Region had partnered with him first, for that challenge Leon set up a while back. He returned him here though, for a different Sobble. Never said why. Since then, he's sprayed every Trainer I've paired him with, not you, though. I think he wants you as his Trainer." She said with a smile, offering Alex his ball.

"He does." Alex confirmed as he processed her words, "It took some convincing, but we've reached an accord." He looked at the Sobble then. "All you need now, my friend, is a name."

The Sobble turned to him, and thumped his chest. "I am Agent Bubble O7!"

Alex nodded, trying not to laugh. "Bubble O7. Of course. But that's a call sign my friend, you need a proper name, too." Hearing what Sobble apparently called himself, Sonia burst into laughter.

The Sobble looked around, and then scooted closer to Alex as he whispered behind his hand. "This is classified information but since you're my new Trainer…my name is Pond. James Pond." Hearing that finally broke Alex, and he laughed hard enough for a tear to form in his eye. When he met Sonia's gaze, he repeated the name, exactly as James had said it, and she too broke into a giggle fit.

Looking between the humans, James deflated slightly. "Why is my name funny…I thought it was cool." He sniffled, but again, didn't cry.

Alex gave his head a pat. "It is cool, my friend. It's just funny because of how fitting it is. We're going to watch some movies tonight that I think you'll enjoy. For now, say your goodbyes."

Saying goodbye to Scorbunny and Sonia finally brought tears to the young Sobble, though not many. A few minutes later, Alex was back outside, and rendezvousing with his group. Adrien and Marinette had crushed the local Trainers with ease, and Connor had adjusted his outfit to handle the harsh weather of the mountains between Kalos and Paldea. They rode Shruikan and Gar across the Galish Channel, to Kalos's northern shore, which was where they decided to camp. Alex and Connor put their heads together to figure out how to project their movie of choice onto a rock slab Alex raised from the earth, while Marinette and Adrien made dinner, which was popcorn and poffins.

James was amazed and enthralled at the spy movies, old Earth classics featuring James Bond, and the little Sobble giggled every time he heard the main character's name. They had, naturally, continued the series into the modern era, and added Pokémon, but Alex had insisted on starting James with the classics. Maromnis, Alex, and James were the only ones to make it through the entirety of both films awake, and Alex quietly, and psychically, packed up the extraneous parts of their camp while Noir watched over them in the night with Leo, atop the movie slab.

For the first time in a while, Alex rose after only four hours of rest, as he'd stayed aware enough to meditate and recharge the way Arthur did. The fact that Jess wasn't around had also helped. He found his cats, Plagg, and Lux, watching an anime, and after heading into the darkness for a four twenty A.M. toke, while watching what Lux was projecting, he returned and joined them. Unbeknownst to him, they had just finished Fullsteel Alchemist and the Kalosian cat was introducing them to Dark Clover.

Alex found it as entertaining as Leo did, though he was initially disappointed when the cooler and by all accounts smarter protagonist, Yuno, turned out to evidently not be the main protagonist. That role belonged to his 'brother' Asta, who loudly and boldly declared, over and over and over, that he'd become the greatest Aura Champion that the Clover Kingdom had ever seen, and with his adamant Riolu's strange aura ability that nullified the energy of Pokémon moves, he had a solid chance of getting there, someday, if the rate of his tiny body's muscle growth kept increasing as it had through the five episodes they made it through, before everyone else woke up. Alex had Lux load up the anime he was behind on, namely Fullsteel Alchemist, and the one Leo kept getting his terms from, an old Earth anime called 'Naruto', whose episodes had been faithfully restored, in the modern era. All seven hundred and twenty of them. As he wondered how long it would take to watch them all, his brain mathed for him. Twenty one minute runtimes, times the total number of episodes, and divided by twenty four hours in a day came out to ten and a half days, at which point he factored in four hours of sleep, and reached a total of thirteen days. Roughly. Not even half of his Festivus break. With travel and other distractions he guessed just over two weeks would be the maximum. If he skipped filler episodes.

As the Pokémon rose from the comfort of their balls and each of the four Trainer's teams greeted each other, Connor whipped up omelets for the humans, while Gren used his Ninjutsu to bamf each Pokémon's bowl to their sitting space. Marinette spoke first, once the food was ready, and the humans dug into their breakfast. "I was thinking, Alex…Adrien and I should probably challenge the Kalos Gyms. Our teams respect us because of Plagg and Tikki, but without Badges, any new partners we get might not."

Alex nodded, finding her logic to be sound. "A wise decision. We can linger in Kalos for a while, too." He glanced at her team then, which was just Tikki, Kaalki, a Zebstrika, and Mullo, an Emolga. "You should probably also catch more, while you're here. In fact…" He checked his map, as Lux brought it up for him. "You and I will head just north of…Vaniville Town. Santalune Forest. You'll find some partners there, I'm sure. Then, we can beseech Professor Sycamore for starters. Jess has a Delphox, and I have Invictus, Blaze, Saur, and Blast…which just means I need a Froakie."

At that point, Connor chimed in. "I have a Froakie for you. In fact…I've been trying to find a worthy Trainer for him for some time now." He summoned his Phone Rotom, and in short order had a Pokéball transferred to his hand. "Consider this my thanks for letting me join your Scales, and sorting that mess out." He tossed Alex the ball, and Alex nodded, eyes widening in shock as he realized just who he was holding. Gren's offspring yes, but a rather special one, judging by what his stats said.

"In that case…let's make it a proper Trade." He felt apprehension from his team as he said the word, but his choice was made, and he pulled his Wartortle from his cape, calling him out, as he knelt to Blast's level. The Wartortle yawned, and looked around, then, his brothers caught him up, and his eyes went wide, and became shinier. "Blast." Alex said, getting his attention, and his ears perked up. "I don't like trading…but Connor here is one of the best Water Type experts around. I think he'd make you the Blastoise you want to be. What do you think?"

The Wartortle looked at the ground. "This is…because your brother has Squirt, isn't it. That's why you picked me. You don't need an extra male Blastoise."

"Oi." Alex said, and the Pokémon's attention snapped up again. "I care for all of my partners. Enough to…let them go, when that will help them fulfill their dreams. I've seen you trying to be stealthy, flipping around, and using pinpoint Water Type attacks. Connor can help you master them to a level I simply cannot. I'd like to have a Blastoise. They're very powerful, when used right. I …believe your path lies elsewhere, though. You prefer Physical Moves, that's your nature. Connor can train you to hone them until they're as good as your Special Moves would've been, if you wanted to be a Special Attacker. But the choice is yours."

At that point, Hydrus popped out. He looked at his Trainer for a long time, and Alex could sense irritation under the passive expression of the Swampert. But he was focused on Blast. "What do you want, brother?"

"To be strong…" The Wartortle mumbled, before raising his head, tears in his eyes. "To be the Best. Like all of you."

Connor and the others had gone quiet by this point, watching the scene and grokking about half of what was going on. Finally, Connor said, "I'll do some training with Blast if you want, Alex. But I don't need him. I'm covered on Water Types. No offense of course, Blast." The Wartortle nodded. "You're helping me by training Gren's son there…he's…special, as you saw, but not a fast physical striker like his dad. His abilities are…weird. But so are you, Alex. So is your whole team. He'd fit right in, I think. Don't feel obligated to give up one of your own."

Alex seemed to sigh in relief at his friend's words. "A temporary parting, then. I train this Froakie, you train Blast, and when they're grown Blast will come home and…we'll see what the Greninja wants at that point, but I'll gladly keep him on, or find a new Froakie for a more permanent position. My Inteleon will need backup, after all."

Blast nodded, clearing his eyes with nothing but a determined head nod. "I'm okay with that. As long as I'm still with you guys…your dream…I want to be part of it too. I can Battle well…and someday, I can protect wherever needs protecting when I eventually get too lazy and old for combat."

Alex stitched between his ears, and the Wartortle grinned at the sensation. "You'll be fierce, by the time Connor is through with you, I'm sure." Alex had always intended to train him against Gren at some point. He had a feeling they'd have plenty of chances to train while romping around Kalos.

With that settled, neither Trainer changed the ID of their Pokémon, and both balls were registered as on loan. Once that was sorted, and Gren had begun speaking with Blast, Alex felt Hydrus wanted to speak. He excused himself behind the stone pillar of anime watching, and entered his own mindspace. It was a simple white octagonal plane with infinitely high walls and, naturally, a symbol of eternal Balance in the center. He brought Hydrus in, and stared down his mudfish. "Everything alright, bud?"

That, made the Swampert's brow twitch with anger. "Alright!? You just almost…Traded one of us away! Like it was nothing! That is not alright! Why did you do this, Human!?"

Alex blinked, as he realized the massive mudfish was so upset he was using basic Pokéspeech. "It's…what Trainers do, when someone offers them a ball, usually. And-" Hydrus cut him off.

"It's what Trainers do!? Does our bond mean so little that you'd just…give it away!?" He was speaking mentally again, but his body gesticulated, and Alex sensed more than a few of his team's minds siding with his Swampert's anger.

Alex held up a finger, and that made Hydrus angrier, but he spoke anyway. "First of all…if you'd seen your newest brother, you'd understand why my first thought was to make the trade even. Permanent. Lasting." Another finger rose. "Second, I was ready to give him to Connor. Not some scrub on the Pokénet. A Champion, and someone who's been my best friend for longer than I've known all of you. Our friendship may not be the same as it is between me and all of you, but I trust him. Not so long from now, he's going to be family too. Blast was never going far. And Third, you all know I don't particularly care for trading, as a rule. I've seen how it confuses Pokémon, and breaks their hearts. Makes it harder for them to bond. Pushes them closer to Shadow. I'd never just give one of you away, especially one who has agreed to our team's goal."

That seemed to finally reach Hydrus, and he exhaled an angry breath. "I'm…sorry I got so heated, it just…"

"It happened rather quickly, I know. Don't ever apologize for calling me out, bud. The last thing I want is one of you guys unhappy." He gave his mudfish a mental hug, and then opened his eyes. They fell upon the ball in his hand, and he felt it twitch slightly in response to his focus. The rest of his team was satisfied with his rationale, and now were curious as to what could have possibly prompted their Trainer to even consider a trade.

Alex let the suspense build for a moment, and then thumbed the ball. Appearing in a flash of blue and black light, was a Shiny Froakie, modest in nature, and with skills he had inherited from both of his parents, that the HoloDex had labeled as Amazing. Understanding flooded their mental network, and Alex sensed his team's opinions of Connor's apparent skill at breeding increase. Alex was very much aware of how sought after the slightly lighter blue frog was in the Trainer world, mostly because of how insanely cool their final evolution looked. And, his Ability was Protean, which until they formed a Battle Bond, would more than suffice.

Alex knelt down to the Froakie, who eyed him in suspicion. "Hello there. I'm Alex. I'm going to be training you for the foreseeable future. Assuming of course, that Battling and becoming strong, strong enough to be the Best, is something you desire."

In the Froakie's short life, he'd only experienced apathy from Connor, and naked desire from other humans that, to his enhanced psychic senses taking in their obvious greed, disgusted him. But this time…felt different. The infectious fire in the human's eyes lit one in his own, and he spoke softly. "Yes…the Best…better even than my father." He gave Alex a meaningful look, and Alex groked that the young frog understood who he was, to some extent. "You can make that happen?"

"I can." Alex said, confidently. "Now all we need is a name for you…"

"I am Kagemusha…" The Froakie said, with slight disgust, as he remembered Connor giving it to him, and explaining its meaning, and how it denoted his job as a bodyguard for Gren. "But everyone calls me Kage (Kah-gay). It suits me more."

"A shadow." Alex said, nodding, as he knew just enough Japanese to know the meaning. "I will have need of a shadow. You and my spy will be crucial to our…future endeavors. For now, you and James should try to hang out together. Bond. The stronger your friendship, the better you'll do as partners." Kage nodded slowly, and then returned to his ball.

In short order, Adrien and Connor were off to Shalour City, for a badge, as Adrien's team was more filled out at six, and was higher level than Marinette's, Connor had suggested he master the basics of Mega Evolution, and the best place to do that was the Tower of Mastery. Once outside Santalune Forest, Alex summoned Kage to battle the younger Trainers on the route, while Marinette successfully caught a Buneary for her team with some timely frubble assistance from Kage. After befriending the shy bun, who Alex ensured wished to be trained at her request, they continued on. Marinette caught a Combee as well, once she saw a female she liked the look of. She'd found two, in fact, one was haughty and mean to the male Combee, but the other was kind, and helpful. Not to mention higher leveled. She briefly worried about taking a competent future Vespiquen from the environment, but upon looking around, saw there were more than enough female contenders around this area. As a massive route-long garden, there were thousands of Combee, many of whom were capable of evolving. Two partners and one badge heavier, the pair strolled into Lumiose City, and the Sycamore Lab within.

Age had only enhanced the charming Kalosian Professor, as, judging by the looks he got, he had embraced his graying hair gracefully and stylishly with his expanded facial hair and slightly less styled haircut. It still was much the same as his younger years, but was streaked with gray, and cut shorter while still possessing wavy volume. He smiled as he greeted them at the lab's reception. "Ahh, Emperor Redwood. Professor Sonia mentioned you might come by. I have a Froakie, Chespin, and Fennekin waiting for you, and a Squirtle, should you need one." Evidently, he already knew Alex had a Charizard and a Venusaur, which made some sense as his childhood days, and being denied a Pokémon, was apparently a large interest to his people, and Gary Oak had been all too willing to share Alex's earliest win record with PNN's hour-long investigation into how he'd gotten his Trainer Card, despite Arcean trickery. From what he'd seen of it, they'd gotten quite a lot correct.

"I'm actually all set on starters, Professor, thank you, but Marinette here could definitely use some…elemental power on her new team." With two bugs, two electric types, and an eventual Lopunny, she was lacking critical type advantages, like fire and water.

Sycamore wasn't fazed though, and shifted his focus to her instead. "Marinette, eh? Ahh, I see…" Sycamore's Phone Rotom floated in front of him then. "Good grades…sketchy attendance…well liked…first partner is…a Ledian? Hmm. I see no reason to deny her. And a Starter will round out your team at six, until you're ready to train ten. Come with me, Marinette."

Alex waited by the desk as Marinette did her thing, and focused on teaching Kage useful new moves, like Mud Shot, Surf, Water and Dark Pulse, to complement Extrasensory and give them something more substantial than Bubble. They'd made good use of his natural bubble cloak on the route to Lumiose, but Marinette and Tikki had done most of the damage in their double battles. Tikki had also swept the Santalune Gym with her flying moves and superior level. When Marinette returned, it was with a cheerful female Fennekin by her side, which she'd named Trixx.

Alex eyed the Fennekin, and then nodded to himself. With a little training, she'd fit well with who Marinette had so far. As they made to leave the lab, Professor Sycamore called out to them. "One moment please!" They turned, but once more it seemed Marinette was the focus of the Professor. "Your mentor here already has one, but Miss Dupain-Cheng, I would like for you to have this." He held out a Key Stone then, and Alex stared at it. It was definitely a Key Stone, but to his eyes, it was quite different from his own. To double check, he drew his from where he safely kept it, and compared them, before nodding to himself.

"B-but Professor…" Marinette stammered, "This is so rare! And I'm just a new Trainer, surely I'm not ready-"

The Professor cut her off, excitedly. "Nonsense! Trainers like you are our future. Consider this an…investment in the safety of Kalos. Just hold onto it for now." He said, smiling at her, and then glancing at Alex.

Alex smirked. Naturally, the clever Professor had figured out, or at least suspected, who she actually was. And that was likely because the Dragon Emperor was training her, and she had a Ledian. "It's alright, Marinette. It's a synthetic Key Stone." He held up his own, and the Professor grinned as he saw the blue tinged sphere. "Arming the next generation with Mega Evolution. Smart. If they can find a Plate shard or a Mega Stone, before long they'll be able to wield Infinity Energy."

"Exactly!" The Professor nodded enthusiastically. "If I'm honest, I'd like to study yours, Dragon Emperor. I've never seen a Key Stone from Indius before."

Alex chuckled. "First things first, Professor…Marinette, could I see yours, for a moment?" She nodded and handed him the stone, and Alex held them side by side. "Compositionally they're the same, but…something is…missing from yours, Professor…I wonder if…" He pressed his Key Stone to the synthetic one then, and they all gasped as light flashed between them, and a pulse of aura swept through the building's front room, ruffling plants and blowing away papers from the reception desk. Sycamore was just staring in awe.

Marinette's Key Stone was now glowing with the telltale rainbow colors of Infinity Energy, and he handed it back to her. "Focus your Aura on this, Marinette. As much as you can. That will make it yours."

Marinette did as instructed, and Tikki pressed a hand over hers as she summoned what aura she could. The stone flashed again, turning red this time. Black spots also appeared across it, but the helix swirl of Infinity Energy remained visible, if now surrounded by crimson and black spots. "I can…feel it…it's…it's mine, now."

Sycamore laughed, somewhat in disbelief. "Colress said scientific marvels happen around you, Dragon Emperor, but this is…fascinating! The implications alone…"

Alex cut through his enthusiasm with a measured and commanding tone. "Professor Sycamore. If you're up for it, I'm charging you personally to go to Indius, and visit Mt. Anant. I believe a Key Stone from there will help your goals here. My brother, the new Professor Redwood, believes that Key Stones bonded to their wielder's aura, like mine, result in a much more stable Mega Form. One that can be achieved faster, too. If you awaken the Key Stones you're creating with the power of Indius and its Guardian, I believe they will acclimate to their wielder's Auras in time. With a Key Stone of your own, you'll be able to awaken them, as I have. Theoretically."

Sycamore stood at attention, then furrowed his brow, and brought out a naturally formed Key Stone then. "But I already have one. Mt. Anant will not give me another."

Alex nodded, taking that information in stride. "The Mega Medicham who guards the stone. Tell him you were sent by me, and that you need to touch yours to the Infinity Stone. That should be enough to have yours awaken as well, and since you've had it for a while I assume, it should already be tuned to your Aura. After that, you should be able to awaken synthetic Key Stones, as I did here."

The Professor nodded. "I'll plan a trip to Indius, then. The future of Kalos looks bright indeed, so long as that Dragon wisdom keeps guiding us." He chuckled, and Alex did as well.

"I look forward to seeing the next generation wielding their Key Stones, synthetic or otherwise, in a safer manner. Safe travels, Professor."

With that, they left the Sycamore Lab, and were once more in the streets of Lumiose. Marinette yanked on his cloak then, and dragged him in a specific direction. "Come! Next stop is my house." She scurried off then, and he had to make use of his absurdly long stride to keep her in sight.

Her house turned out to be one of Lumiose City's many cafés, which seemed to also be a bakery. It was red themed on the interior, and as her parents tried to cope with the shock of a world leader casually visiting their establishment, she kept astounding them with a truly impressive story about some nonexistent student mentoring program with the Scales that would make her a better Trainer, and set her future up solidly. At that point, she pulled out her badge to prove she'd gotten better, and sell the story.

They gave them an impressively large bag of pastries on their way out, and Alex had to detour to one of the many nearby parks for letting out one's Pokémon, as he knew his team needed to try these. For a solid half hour, the Pokémon and humans did nothing but gnosh on pure all natural deliciousness. Seeing the state of Marinette's team, he also showed her that many Pokémon had specific areas or crevices that needed to stay clean. It got a bit gross, but in the end, her team was shining in the Kalosian sun, and raring to go.

Marinette easily took on the Lumiose Gym with Kaalki, who tanked Clem Bot with its Motor Drive, and Bulldoze combination. Then, they flew north on Blaze to Laverre City, as they didn't have time for a fairy swamp detour. This time her Emolga, Mullo, claimed victory, with Double Team and Iron Tail, she hadn't even been touched by Leader Valerie, or her Gym Trainers. For his part, Alex ended up in a triple battle with his three new water types, James, Kage, and Maromnis, and all three performed quite well, and seemed to have good synergy. Hydrus had taught them well, and Kage was a natural leader. His quick thinking and timely Extrasensory power had saved both of his teammates, and his newly learned trick of curving his pulse moves helped him land hits without hitting his allies.

Maromnis was very much a physical attacker, since gaining his Scalchop, and all James had mastered move wise, was Pound, since Lux had been streaming all the James Bond movies for him, instead of letting him train in his ball as they walked. Alex didn't reprimand him, though, they were in no rush, and the spy knowledge he was gaining might someday prove quite useful.

From Laverre City, they headed to Route 13, and they once more took the ground route, as flying was impractical. They battled the ground types around them, which were quite violent, and the ground-type favoring Trainers were no better, but Noir and Tikki rolled through them fairly easily. About halfway across the desert route, they spied a pair of figures in the distance, also on foot. One had black clothes, and something blue on his head, and his smaller teen-sized friend was a blonde in all white clothes. Alex just smirked, as he guessed what was about to happen.

It was about high noon when Marinette and Adrien crossed paths, both determined to get their badges and prove their worth as Trainers, once they saw they had collected an equal amount so far. Despite only half a day of effort, Marinette's team had improved by leagues as she now had a Vespiquen, Lopunny, and a Braixen. Three evolutions in one day was a lot, but her burgeoning team was embracing their growth spurt with fire in their eyes.

The teenage lovers had a murmured rendezvous as Alex and Connor caught each other up on what they'd been doing. Then, the teens drew Pokéballs, and stepped back to a battling distance. Marinette led with Kaalki, which prompted Adrien to summon Wayzz, his Torterra. Kaalki bravely Flame Charged into him, but then the Earthquake counterattack took him down with a single hit, and it became clear just how much of a higher level Adrien's team was at. Tikki took down Wayzz with a single Bug Buzz, as her own level eclipsed Adrien's newer teammates. She had taken part of his Rock Slide though.

Adrien brought Plagg out then, and through luck, landed a critical hit on his Fire Fang, which fainted Tikki, and after that, Adrien easily rolled through the rest of her team with his Noivern, Sass, leaving Marinette in the dust, on her knees, trying to comprehend how she'd been beaten so easily.

Adrien tried to comfort her, but Connor beckoned him over, and the two continued on their way, while Alex gave Marinette a minute. Once she wiped her eyes, Marinette stood up and approached him, head down. "I lost so easily…I made your training look ineffective. Sorry."

Alex shook his head. "Adrien has been training them longer than you have, and many of your partners were caught today. Your main issue is that you rely on Kaalki and Tikki too often, and they have easy counters, like Fire, Rock, and Ground. When you use them on weaker opponents, the experience you all gain is significantly lessened."

Marinette nodded in understanding then. "That's why you usually try to make it equal. I was curious, but thought it was your preference."

Alex nodded. "I do prefer an even fight, as a rule. Even your strongest partners get more experience that way. It's harder, but very worth it." Marinette nodded, but still seemed down. "Don't worry about losing." Alex continued. "It's not about who wins or loses. Your team tried hard for you right? That's what matters. Next time, Adrien won't know what hit him, and your teams will be more even. Don't be afraid to swap frequently, especially once you have momentum."

Marinette nodded again, absorbing the information, but still seemed mopey. Alex did what he could against the sandstorm as they finished crossing the route and made their way to Coumarine City. Once at the gate, Alex parted from her, saying he had things to buy at the Pokémon Center. Once more on her own, Marinette looked around Coumarine City with a sigh. "Probably a Water Gym. Hmm." She traveled around the complicated city layout for almost an hour before she finally found where the gym was. Not far from where she'd first entered the city.

The sound of a well-played harp entered her ears as she approached the gym, and she looked towards what seemed like a small park beside the entrance to the city. A well-dressed man in a long green cloak hanging from his shoulders was strumming a harp made from a pair of entwined Mew, to the delight of the city folk. Marinette felt Tikki poke her head up as she stopped to listen to the masterful musician.

A sense of tranquility filled Marinette and her partner, and they swayed along to the peaceful beat. Tikki blinked her eyes open, as the sound came closer, but Marinette didn't seem to notice, until the minstrel was right in front of her. She opened her eyes and then flushed as she realized the dashing minstrel was playing in her general direction. He finished with a smooth strumming flourish, bowed to the crowd behind him, and then turned back to her with the same motion.

She seemed like the young woman the Dragon Emperor had mentioned, so Nando struck up a conversation with her. "Bonjour, mademoiselle. You are a Pokémon Trainer, no? I am Nando, the Coumarine City Gym Leader."

Marinette introduced herself in turn, and said, "I am. My name is Marinette. This is Tikki, my partner." The Ledian gave the musician a cheerful greeting. "We're here to challenge you and your…Water Types?"

Nando chuckled. "Not water, no." He gestured to the titanic tree atop the mountainous entrance to the city. "That is the Gym. Historically, we use Grass and Bug Types here. Come. Let us see how you do against my Gym Trainers."

Nando led Marinette and Tikki to the entrance, and then grabbed a hanging vine in the room that, with a tug, launched him up to the top of the tree. As Marinette took the long way, a tune floated down from the top, more epic in feel than peaceful, it set a good backdrop for her battles with the Trainers in the gym. Remembering Alex's words, she didn't use Tikki, but instead brought out Trixx, and as promised, the eager young Braixen gained quite a bit of experience for her team.

She was undefeated, and hadn't been touched by her opponents by the time they reached the top level of the tree-based gym. Marinette restored her partner's Flamethrower, and then faced down Nando, who had just finished putting his lute away.

He led with a Kricketune, and Trixx once more took the field, eager to win. The musical bug lelelele'd his way past two Flamethrowers with Swords Dance, but the third finally caught and finished him, making his stat boosting useless, as Alex had promised it would be, against such opponents. Nando watched as the Braixen celebrated, but all Marinette had was a small smile, and Trixx's enthusiasm lessened as she saw her Trainer's reaction. She seemed bored, from Nando's perspective, so he changed things up, and got serious.

He called out his Lopunny then, and Marinette's eyes went wide, as Nando said, "Your Master asked me to give you a thorough workout! I intend to! Jump Kick!" In a flash, the large, high leveled fighting bun was in front of Trix. She backflipped, and kicked her chin, sending the fiery fox into the air. "Now Double Kick!" Another kick sent Trixx higher, and the spinning follow up sent her slamming into the wood floor.

"Trixx!" Marinette shouted, as once more she saw her cute little partner getting thrashed. Slowly, Trixx got back up, and the flame on her wand burned brighter. She saw the Lopunny smirking, and snarled at her. She was nowhere near done yet.

"She's fighting hard." Nando said, calmly. "For you. Even though you've only had her for a day."

"It's true, I've only had her for a few hours…but she's my beloved partner all the same! I don't want her to be hurt! Return, Trixx! Tikki can handle this."

The fiery fox shook off the recall beam, and then whirled on her Trainer. "Braix! Braixen!"

"You still want to Battle…? But it's so much stronger…" The two turned, as the Lopunny Mega Evolved, and started hopping in place. Trixx gulped, . "Return for now, Trixx. I'll need you for the rest of his team." The Braixen nodded, and returned this time, taking the time to rest, before she was needed again.

Out came Tikki, who winked back at her Trainer. "Let's try this Mega stuff too!" Marinette heard in her head. Then, she saw the heroic bug was holding what seemed like a shard of a Pixie Plate. She could guess who gave it to her. Marinette steeled herself, nodded, and then held up her Key Stone. But nothing happened.

Still holding off on attacking, Nando chuckled. "It is your first time, no? I will not rush you." He brought out the harp, and started strumming a pleasant tune. "Your heart…the heart of your precious partner…" He flourished his fingers along the strings masterfully. "They must be in sync. Remember the tough Battles…remember the fun picnics…and let the energy of those emotions flow into her…"

He smiled as he opened one eye slightly, and saw the Key Stone shining bright. He also noted the wonder Marinette seemed to be feeling. A smile finally cracked her face as she held up her Key Stone. "Tikki…Mega Evolve!"

Tikki whooped as she felt the power of Infinity react to her human. Her form shone bright, and grew taller as the power revealed her true form.

Her wings split into six, her entire body looked more like a female humanoid though she was still very much a bug, and was now glowing pink with black spots across her body. Her carapace hung down by her legs like a dress bottom. Her legs were thin and glowing whitish pink. She had six arms again, with humanoid hands clenched into fists, and glowing with the Light. Three light blue bulbous eyes were on her head, and her antennae looped around her head like a halo.

Nando had stopped playing, and both he and Marinette were staring at Tikki in awe. Marinette was the first to get over her surprise. "Tikki! Miraculous Barrage!"

As Marinette called the new move she felt capable of using, the fairy bug vanished in a flash, and then reappeared before the Mega Lopunny. Six super effective fairy typed strikes hammered her into the back part of the old gym, which was not designed to withstand a bout between Mega Forms that were this strong. The mega bun lost her form, and fainted, leaving Nando stunned, and Marinette victorious.

Nando just nodded, and brought out his Sunflora, while Tikki was switched out for Trixx again. His little sentient sunflower tried to dodge while it charged up a Solarbeam, but Trixx was on fire, and accurate. Another Flamethrower brought it down. Out came Altaria, and Tikki faced her, still in her Mega Form. Mega evolving helped the Altaria keep up with Tikki, but in the end, Nando had to resort to Perish Song, which took effect right before Tikki landed her fairy typed barrage.

"And just like that…I'm down to my ace. Roserade!" Nando threw his final ball, and Marinette countered with the Cherish Ball she'd used for Trixx once again. The Braixen was still very much fired up.

The moves came at the same time. "Flamethrower!" "Leaf Storm!" and they collided in the center of the field, but Marinette wasn't done. "Trixx! Fire Spin!" Masterfully, the branch wielding vixen shifted the flames of her Flamethrower upwards, into the new move, blinding and injuring the Roserade.

Nando wasn't idle though. "Blow it away, with Dazzling Gleam!"

As the smoke and flames cleared, both Nando and his partner saw Trixx, already leveling another attack at them. "Use Psybeam!" Marinette shouted as she pointed at their target. Roserade's eyes had time to widen, before the fiery fox caster attacked. Nando called a move, but it was drowned out by the powerful hum of the Psybeam, which became more of a Psyshock as Trixx started shining with the light of Infinity.

With a final gasp, Roserade fainted, leaving a very satisfied looking Trixx to exhale, and calmly take in the win, and her new body. All the power she'd felt as a Braixen was now significantly stronger, as a Delphox. Some Pokémon might have been disoriented by evolving twice in the same day, but Trixx just seemed satisfied. She gave her Trainer a victory hug as she came over, and psychically assured her that she was fine.

Nando came over as well, badge in hand, and said, "I hope you'll remember your time in Coumarine City. I got the feeling you weren't sure about being a Trainer when you arrived. Has that changed?"

Marinette took the badge, and pondered his words. Her partners had battled hard. For her. Their bond had resulted in genuine power, and Trixx had even evolved twice, for her. She would be a Delphox for the rest of her life. She'd been battling hard since she'd been given to Marinette. All of her partners had. Finally, she answered Nando. "It has. I know I want to be the best Trainer I can, for the partners on my belt. I'm not going to catch all the Pokémon lines, but I think ten should be just right for me."

"That's good." Came a familiar baritone from behind her. "Leader Nando, do you have any objections to Marinette being given permission for ten active partners?" Alex asked as he walked up beside the musician.

"None. So long as being a Trainer is what she wants." Nando stated with a smile.

Marinette looked at Trixx and Tikki chatting excitedly, presumably about their win, and their new forms. She nodded again. "I'm many things. But I think I like being a Trainer most. Even when we lose."

Alex nodded, glad that Nando, new as he was as a Gym Leader, had managed to reignite her passion for battle. "Losing isn't as fun, but I think you'll find those are the Battles you remember most. As long as you learn from the loss, it's not a wasted effort."

They left Coumarine City then, and continued to Shalour City, where Fighting Master Korrina was also stomped by Trixx and her new psychic powers. Korrina gave them containers for their Key Stones after Marinette Psyshocked her way through the entire gym. Marinette kept hers below her neck with a choker, but Alex got more creative, and carved a simple wooden block with a Taijitu swirl upon it that could hang around his neck. On the back was his Key Stone, masterfully embedded into the wood without damaging the stone or the wood.

By that point it was sunset, and instead of a potentially awkward dinner with a female teenager that would inevitably cause Alex a media headache, Shalour City's Mayor, upon hearing who was spending the night, offered them their best hotel suite, which was on the ground floor, and had space for a team as large as Alex's.

While he prepared the one meal he knew he'd reasonably mastered, burgers and curry, he listened to his newer members, who had formed a team of their own. Po, Romulus, Kage, James, and Maromnis were discussing who should be their leader, and everyone but Kage seemed to want Po. Po was flattered to be considered, but Kage wanted the position. Unfortunately his stoic ninja demeanor stood no chance in terms of popularity against the cuddly Kubfu.

They'd done quite well with their own battles during Marinette's challenge, and Kage had even managed to evolve. This was his main argument for being the leader, but it wasn't working. Silently, Alex reached out to the ninja frog. "You'll catch more Combee with honey than vinegar."

The ninja frog went silent as the others deliberated. "What?" He said irritably, as he stewed in his frubbles.

"Kindness, young Shinobi. Understanding. This is how you can be their leader." Sensing the young frog still didn't understand, Alex continued. "Try telling them that you understand them, and how best to synergize their abilities. Appeal to your bond as friends."

"Friends?" Kage said with disgust. "Ninja do not make friends. They are just comrades who Battle alongside me."

Alex chuckled, both physically and mentally. "That's what friends do, Kage. That's what comrades are. Just another term for friends. You already have friends on this team, you can't bottle that Hoopa now. Not without being a jerk to them, which I know you don't want. They're clever enough to understand your point. Use your words."

The young ninja frog pondered his new Trainer's wisdom, and he recalled what his father had said about Alex Redwood. With only a year of training, he and his Torterra had matched Connor and Gren, in terms of move mastery. He'd beaten Champion N, the Tamer of Zekrom. He'd even taken on a colossal Salamence, both in life and in death, and came away alive both times. He recalled the story of how they'd actually slain Alduin, and the point was driven home further. Maybe, there was something to having friends after all. He'd also noticed that Gren had befriended his own team, eventually.

Finally, he spoke to the group, using his new height as a Frogadier as he spoke. "Friends, I know you want Po to lead, but this team needs a leader that understands your abilities, like I do, and how to use them. I know Po is funny and well liked, but we don't need a popular leader, we need a leader who knows where and when to use the abilities we possess. A leader who can help us win I can be that leader."

Hearing that, and having no interest in leading himself, James raised a small Sobble hand. "I second that. I like you, Po but Kage is right. My…particular set of skills must be used properly."

Kage nodded sagely, then said, "Without a doubt, an Urshifu is going to be an important part of our team. But you're better as…our secret weapon, Po. The one who shows up just in time to help us when the Muk hits the Fan Rotom. Our ace."

Po's eyes were wide. "Secret Weapoooon! Yes! I will totally be a secret weapon!" His voice turned epic then, and the others giggled. "A weapon…of Kung Fu!"

"Alright then." Maromnis said quietly. "Kage will guide us."

"Oi, Secret Kung Fu weapon, the foods ready." Alex said, as he added the Gigantamix and then psychically distributed the food to each of his team.

Po's eyes went wide as he watched the towering pile of curry rise three times. "Ahh yes," he said as the others lined up by their bowls. "My greatest love…greater even than Kung Fu." He walked up to his bowl of protein filled deliciousness, eyes shining. "Hello gorgeous." He dug in with an ursine sense of manners. Even with his appetite, gaining levels, eating healthy, and a few large calls from nature had filled the young cub out with muscle, instead of flab, mostly. He seemed healthier and happy, which was how Alex wanted him. For his part, Kage watched his Trainer as they ate, as he tried to, not for the first time, figure out what his deal was, in light of his wise words.

Neither Connor nor his father had seemed to think very highly of him, in private. It was as Astrum landed on his broad shoulder for some scritches, that Kage grasped the difference between him and the Kalos Champion. Connor was very much all about the hard-style life, as Po would call it. Redwood was much calmer, had the same skill for battling, and, most importantly, possessed genuine kindness. Training with the Original Dragon had also made him wise, from Kage's perspective, and by the time they settled in for some Dark Clover, the young ninja frog had accepted him as his Trainer. He had no intention of going back to Connor.

For his part, Alex was pondering who he'd be facing the next day, as he'd managed to grind his way to an Ultra Class match. Between Canis and his new partners, they'd climbed the ranks rather quickly, and he was sure someone in Kalos would be able to give him a genuine challenge.

Somewhere in the Central States - Dragon Empire

Proditor cast his mental net wide, as he sought out his starter. His Abomasnow. Optimus. As with every other continent he'd visited since escaping Alola, all he felt was silence. He did however, notice a blob of Shadow in what was billed in this era's media as a golden continent at one with the Light.

He psychically adjusted himself along the world's energy pathways, and bamfed himself close to this source of burgeoning Shadow. He cloaked himself in the darkness of the void and entered into the well-hidden tunnel that led to the underground cavern housing this rebellion in the heart of the Dragon Empire. Several seemingly local denizens of this landlocked and central province of the Dragon Empire had entered ahead of him, and he trailed them expertly as they navigated the complex of tunnels.

He arrived just in time for one of the speeches that these Arceans seemed to enjoy giving every chance they got. The speaker this time was Champion Octavius Thorne, of the formerly Arcean state of Wyogon. He was platinum blonde, as tan as every other Arcean, and his hair was a more modern style, flaring up in wavy wisps that were swept to his left.

His attire was a fine dark navy suit with gloves and a collared undershirt that seemed out of place with his followers who were, by majority, farmers and those Proditor saw as peons. The lowest caste. Salt of the earth. Poors. As he could sense their thoughts, or lack thereof, he marveled that such low intelligence and easily manipulated people still existed in this era of superior technology. His own era had combined 'magic', or manipulation of the universe's natural energy types, with technology, but their actual level of mechanical expertise had been surpassed in this new age, and if the rumors on their Pokénet were true, the Empire and its allies had already begun rolling out tech powered by Infinity Energy.

"My Brothers in the Light! As you have all doubtless heard, the Halfbreed Emperor has once more drastically altered our nation!" Proditor snickered to himself. Building houses manually and revitalizing barren areas was classically seen as a good thing. But he knew the speaker's type, and his next words confirmed Proditor's bias. "The houses that the Dragon's minions have created are surely wired to spy on their occupants, and even the Empire's scientists can't tell just how much severe change the new rivers he's created will cause to Fornia's ecosystem. Our nation has been in a significant state of decline since the war ended, and things will surely only get worse!"

"Then DOO sumthin'!" One of the sentient Wooloo brayed from the crowd. His companions in the crowd greeted his quieter statement with single word affirmations that made them sound as simple as they looked. Others in the crowd tried speaking up, but the speaker drowned them out with his podium's microphone.

"Please refrain from shouting out, ladies and gentlemen." Again, Proditor snickered in the darkness. He would've bet money nobody in this crowd knew what 'refrain' meant, or possessed the intelligence and sense of shame to keep quiet. "We have been coordinating with our people across the nation, for a targeted strike against the Empire's infrastructure. Soon, we will strike back against the Dragon Empire! Each of us must work hard, in this time of tribulation, until our States are free and United once again!"

The Wooloo cheered as the pompous rich man told them to continue spending their life hours toiling away at what was very likely a futile effort, from what Proditor had seen of the Original Dragon's efforts in rebuilding his Empire's infrastructure.

Such waste… His dark passenger rumbled in his head. I…We…could put them to better use.

Mentally, Proditor answered the Shadowmind. "I agree…let's have a conversation with their rich ruler. I think we can overpower him if necessary…but I'd rather use words. His last superior was a brute, a product of his lesser cult, but I think…he may just shine under Our guidance."

Proditor sank further into the shadows, not hard to do given how dark things were, and followed the man further down into the earth, where he eventually entered a new room. After experimenting with his physical form, Proditor had found it quite malleable, and was able to slip under the door behind him.

The speaker from earlier was met by two much younger looking subordinates, just as blonde and tan and blue eyed as he was. Proditor heard him sigh before saying, "If we have to give a speech every time these peasants decide to stop working, we will never accomplish our goals."

The younger man answered him, and while he was physically attractive in a more feminine but still masculine manner, Proditor could sense the darkness in his thoughts. "It's not like we can resume throwing them in pits and keeping them behind barbed wire. We no longer have those resources, and everything the Empire does lately, is focused on making the lower and middle classes more comfortable. Just today, they raised taxes on the nation's billionaires. All of them. All at once. The propagandists are claiming it's the first time the rich have paid their 'fair share' in centuries."

Thorne's aged face cracked a smirk. "This will make my next meeting…far more productive. If we can get the wealthy on our side, we can import more peasants. Perhaps from Eous, or Texico City."

The woman chimed in then, and Proditor noted she too was clad in some sort of formal looking naval officer outfit that had apparently been the norm for what these Arceans tended to wear. "Not Texico City…apparently, the only people left living there after General Rosa's slaughter love everything the Dragon Emperor and his people have done for him. If we try to turn them against the man who almost single handedly had their city rebuilt, we will have little success."

Thorne waved a hand. "It matters not. There's always idle hands to be found somewhere. Veronika, Valarian, I leave things here in your capable hands. Now…who has agreed to show, at this meeting?"

The pretty man, Valarian, apparently, spoke this time. "The heads of most of the Empire's largest corporations. Including a representative from the Rotom Phone company, as you asked."

Thorne's smirk shifted to a dark grin. "Excellent. Now all we need to do is get them on our side, as Caleb should have done before launching the Blitz." With that, he turned and walked into a teleporter, which brought him elsewhere. The two subordinates shared a look, and then left through the door, leaving Proditor alone in the spacious room that seemed to be some sort of lounge or rest area for the elite remnants of the Arcean cult. He manifested his body again, changing his attire up. He pulled from his old outfit as the Successor, and Lord of the cults that had popped up in the wake of Arceus leaving this plane. Long metal shoulder pads adorned his broad shoulders, flaring out from them horizontally. Hanging down from behind them was a luxurious looking cape. His robes of vague Shadow energy solidified into a more tangible outfit, a suit akin to what the Arceans wore, under black robes fit for a dark king, with red and purple undertones. A pair of black metal gauntlets covered each of his hands, but he felt he'd pulled off the 'business casual Dark Lord' vibe he'd been aiming for.

Finally, his white skin turned a pale toned flesh color, albeit one tanned by the sun, and his white hair became sandy blonde, though the style of it, unkempt and short, did not change. His claws became fingernails, and he inspected his disguise, nodding in satisfaction, before he too headed through the teleporter.

He appeared in a room with a long dark wood table, surrounded by chairs that had no windows, which seemed to be the standard setting for where the rich of this era did business. As he appeared, the heads of the old and primarily lighter skin toned men turned towards him. Thorne was speaking as he appeared. "-from my base… Ahh. Well, you don't look like a Scale, so who the Muk are you? This is a private meeting!"

Proditor just chuckled. "I…am a legend, to you, who live in this era. Once, I was called the Successor to the Tamer of Arceus. The one next in line to inherit that power, and responsibility. Lord Proditor."

The room laughed, albeit nervously, as his psychic aura invisibly moved through all of them. Only Thorne seemed to notice, as he stood and answered. "The Successor to the man who Tamed the Alpha!? That would make you several millennia old…and the one responsible for the Dark Times, if the legends are true..."

Proditor nodded, coming up to the opposite and unoccupied end of the table near the teleporter. "I am he. Recently, the Witch Queen of Albion revived me, and I have since been gathering my Pokémon. The ones that still exist, anyway."

Thorne took in his words, and said, "Why would you come here, then? We do not have your Pokémon. This is a private meeting for those of us under the rule of an Empire we don't want. What business do you have here, if you are who you claim to be?" While driven by a lust for power, Thorne was a man who understood that the masses needed a charismatic figure to cling to. Without Pravus, they had lost thousands of loyal Arceans to the deprogramming efforts of the Dragon Empire. Before him was, assuming the historical records and his bold claims were correct, the man who had toppled the global organization Arceus's Tamer had created. He had started the Dark Times, but he'd also apparently successfully led quite a large cult in his age, though the name and deeds of said cult had long been buried from the historical record. He could be exactly what they needed, right now.

Proditor met Thorne's gaze evenly. "I am here…because I seek to rebuild my power base. In my time, I rallied the psychics of the world to one banner. I intend to do something similar here. I heard that this is a meeting of the wealthiest people on the continent. Am I correct in assuming that you are all firmly united against Redwood and the Dragon? You have all considered the…potential consequences of making such a choice?"

The group glanced at each other, murmuring as they did so, and Proditor resisted chuckling. He sensed each of their unguarded thoughts, all but one, a platinum blonde woman, the only female in the group, who was not muttering, but watching Proditor with a quiet intensity, fingers steepled before her. They seemed unsure, but ultimately intrigued by him. It seemed, in wealthy circles, they had at least heard of the effects of his deeds. Some things couldn't be hidden from those with obscene wealth, and across eons, that at least had remained true. The woman whose mind was shielded spoke then. "You were defeated, as I recall. I admit I know not by who, or how, but you were beaten so thoroughly that the name 'Proditor' doesn't exist in the historical record."

Proditor waved a hand nonchalantly. "Death was an…unexpected inconvenience. But understand something…the man who ended me did so with a power of Light that has long since left this world. He was an Archon. Their King, no less. I doubt any of you have heard of them, either." Again the men rumbled, but none claimed to know that title or its meaning.

Thorne spoke this time, "The Dragon Emperor has also claimed the power of the Light. The Alpha supports him…for now. Our plan was to sway Arceus to our side, once we demonstrate that Redwood is unworthy in every way."

Proditor couldn't help himself. He started laughing a genuine villain laugh, but soon realized that the entity in his skull was also laughing. As he tried to stop, it seized control out of nowhere, forcing his body to laugh, as a byproduct of its own laughter. Finally it ceased, realized it was in control, and said, "You think to…persuade Arceus…" It laughed again, and internally, Proditor told his ally to warn him before suddenly taking over. The being agreed, and then they spoke once more in unison. "Arceus has already deemed your Cult to be worthless. We have seen the footage from your war. It said so itself."

The woman shielding her mind said, "Who is… 'we'?"

The entity continued, and as Proditor spoke, his disguise began to unintentionally slip, as from his shadow, the formless mass of his dark passenger began climbing up the wall of the dimly lit room via his shadow. Only Thorne and the woman with the shielded mind seemed to notice, though. They also got a glimpse of what he truly looked like, glowing purple eyes, white hair, dead skin, and a genuinely sinister grin. "The Light has abandoned you, all of you, for the Original Dragon's goal for eons now has been to eradicate the hold currency has upon your race. It will not stop, at taxes. Those with large amounts of currency will also soon be vilified and killed in the name of progress."

The men mumbled again, and one said, "Surely not…"

"Your kind has always maintained its elite status by being ahead of the changing times. The first to abuse and…copyright…new technologies. Humanity has again harnessed the power of Infinity, and in this era, your…technology is capable of wielding it with precision. With Infinite power comes Infinite resources. Already, the Dragon's scientists have learned to make objects from Infinity Energy, and common materials. Soon, the need for your currency based system will be eradicated, and you who have amassed fortunes will be spat upon in a society that achieves freedom from it." Proditor grinned at them, and then dropped the disguise. The old men visibly recoiled, though Thorne and a few others were intrigued, as they could sense the power he possessed. His aura had spread through the entirety of the room now. "I am Cassius Proditor. I am the one who will bend this era to my Will. Join me, and I will ensure that you, and your family lines never lose your status in your society, regardless of what becomes of currency. Bend the knee…and I shall grant you power not seen for millennia."

Once more, the men shared a look, but Octavius Thorne was the first to stand, push his chair back, and then kneel. His head came to just above the table's edge. "I will serve, Lord Proditor. Long have the Arceans kept record of the man from whom our Church's founder drew wisdom. A man who was said to understand the nature of both Light and Shadow. His name was lost to history, but…this power…this vision…I am sure it was your writings he learned from."

Proditor nodded, still grinning widely. "Indeed! You are aware of the ancient source of your Church's teachings. That simplifies things." The glowing purple eyes shifted to the rest of them. Expectantly. "And what of all of you…?"

One by one, after glancing at each other and Thorne, the men stood, pushed back their chairs, and knelt before the Successor. All but one, anyway. When all the others had knelt, and Proditor's attention shifted to her, she stood. She was an older woman with platinum blonde hair, in a suit as nice as her contemporaries, with only a few noticeable age lines. "I would think…that after we have seen what the Shadow hath wrought, we would know better than to so quickly kneel to another so clearly corrupted by its influence. Perhaps even more so than Pravus was. I will never serve the Darkness." She made a sign with her hands then, her pair of pointer and middle fingers crossed, like a T.

Recognizing what she was doing, Proditor was briefly surprised, but then, he struck. Unfortunately, his surprise gave the Ninjutsu user a chance to escape, and the pointed Shadow tentacles that attempted to pierce her stabbed only air, as the old woman vanished in a bamf of energy.

"It matters not…" Proditor declared, as he let the overwhelming power of his aura manifest in the room. The table was crushed, flattened to the floor, the windows shook, and surely whatever building they were currently in was also shaking. While the men felt the pressure, enough to keep them in a subservient position, they were allowed to stay kneeling, and Thorne bore witness to just how fine this ancient psychic's control was. "The Dragon cannot stop what is coming. Not even Arceus can stand against the Power we serve."

Somewhat meekly, but burning with curiosity, Thorne said, "What…what power would that be, exactly, my Lord?"

Proditor and his Shadow entity decided to give their newest minion with the most potential an answer. "The oldest evil in the Multiverse. He Who Arises in Might. The Elder King. The Lord of the Dark." Proditor paused for dramatic effect, and then spoke the being's name, much to the delight of the entity in his skull. Their words, specifically the name of the being they were speaking of, reverberated through the very fabric of reality, bound and enhanced as they were by their unholy fusion. Proditor felt…elation? Amusement? A strange mix of heightened feelings from the Shadowmind as it whispered to him, needlessly confirming what he sensed, as the whispers from beyond his home dimension filled his ears.

He has heard us…He is coming.

Sahqoreyth · May 22, 2024

Chapter 53: Odyssey of Ascendance, Part 2

Lumiose City - Kalos Region

Marinette had some difficulty with the Cyllage City Gym Leader, as rock types were brutally identified as her team's weak point, thanks to Grant and his Tyrantrum. Alex advised her to find new team members, and to not give up, as most Trainers usually either lost and quit, or got tripped up around their sixth gym. He notably left out mention of his own sixth gym badge, Skyla's, and how easy Leo and Hydrus had made acquiring that one. While Marinette sought a hard counter to rock types in the wild, Alex had gotten a time and a place for his Ultra Class match, the one that would see him enter their ranks, or be stopped at the gate. Apparently, he could have such a match three times, before he'd lose his shot at the finals completely.

He wasn't worried though, as his win streak since the start of the tournament had yet to be stopped. They'd planned to rendezvous in Lumiose City once Marinette got her new partner and her badge. Connor and Adrien were also waiting in Lumiose, as Adrien had also gathered six badges, and wanted to get the final two alongside Marinette.

As Alex strode into the open Lumiose Gym, he saw Connor and his apprentice in the stands. Apparently Connor thought seeing his qualification match would help Adrien learn. He nodded to them as he took his place in the Trainer box. Across the field was his opponent, a man wielding an electric guitar.

He had long straight black hair, his eyes were covered by a large old school style of sunglasses, and his grizzled face was sporting a respectable beard around his mouth. He looked over Alex, seemed to nod, and then they both glanced upward as Clemont himself appeared in the referee perch. "Welcome to the Lumiose Gym! This match will determine which of our competitors will be moving on to the Ultra Class. I've been asked to hold off on starting for a few minutes, as the League claims there's some interest in seeing this match. We will begin in five minutes."

Alex nodded as he noticed the Rocker summon a Charizard and a Dragonite, and they began planning. For his part, and seeing his opponent only had three balls, Alex picked his three, and levitated them in the air around his head. Adamanteus, Blaze, and Kalagon would suffice, and he'd chosen an Ace, a bulky physical attacker in need of experience, and one of his newer partners, on purpose.

As promised, more people began filling the stands as time passed, and within five minutes, the gym had a sizable crowd watching eagerly. Alex smirked as, judging by their attire, they were his fans, and they were a majority. He stared at the ground as he tried to come to grips with the idea that people liked him, or at least his battling style, enough to make the effort to form a club around it, apparently. They'd all arrived around the same time, which implied linked communication vectors. The others seemed to be locals, just eager to watch a World Tournament match, let alone an Ultra Class qualifier. Connor had gotten a similar reception in Wyndon Stadium. As Clemont returned, Alex's opponent let out what he could only describe as a roar with his guitar. "I'm about ready to rock, if you are…whatever your name is."

The crowd seemed to chuckle, and Alex assumed a combination of distance and aged eyes kept him from recognizing his opponent. So, Alex flourished his cape, showing off his growing team glinting on his cape as he bowed. "Alex Redwood, Champion of the Victory League. I look forward to our Battle."

The man clearly knew his name, at least, as he went still. His face stayed in the same seemingly perpetually angry expression, as he nodded, and then belted out a brief screeching tune on his guitar. "They call me Rocker Mills."

Their respective stats appeared on the gym's high tech screens, along with their Trainer cards, and Alex did a double take as he saw the Rocker's win record. Seeing his reaction, Clemont got his attention, and then subtly tapped his head. Taking the hint, Alex established a mental connection. "Is this okay…?" Alex asked hesitantly. Establishing a link like this often unintentionally led to private information being absorbed by the psychic establishing contact. Alex could tell without meaning to pry that Clemont was generally happy with his life, with someone called Allie, probably a wife or girlfriend, and he was happy to be hosting an Ultra Class match in his gym, as it meant revenue, and more currency he could put towards his experiments. These were just the thoughts on the surface, and Alex found their content being processed unintentionally by his own mind just by connecting. Clemont's willingness and knowledge of psychic connections also contributed to how much was shared, which seemed to indicate he didn't mind it being known. Just from a brief 'glance', Alex could tell the inventor was special. His mind was both organized, and constantly churning away deeper within. He could sense it processing information rapidly, with a sense of logic that Alex found mirrored his own.

"It's fine." Clemont answered. "The League says this Trainer's rise through the ranks is…suspicious. His opponents, those who beat the Charizard and Dragonite, claim he overpowers Trainers who agree to a rule exception in the third round, at which point he rolls their whole team. They figured if anyone could find the truth of this matter, you could, since your team famously has yet to be rolled through. If he's cheating, we don't want him advancing in the tournament."

Alex nodded in response saying only, "I'll find out what he has in that third ball." With that, Clemont began the match.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Lumiose Gym! Today our Ultra Class qualifier match is between Rocker Mills…" He paused, trailing off purposely as the master guitarist strummed loudly on his guitar with obvious skill and then threw up Giratina horns with his pointer and pinky fingers. The crowd ate it up with loud cheers. "…and Champion Redwood, of the Victory League!" The cheers this time were louder, and Alex smirked. He tipped his hat towards the stands, but otherwise remained the personification of chill, arms crossed, as his chosen three orbited his head. "This will be a three on three Battle! Trainers, summon your partners!" Hearing that, Mills seemed to tense up a bit, but he said nothing, and let the match progress uninterrupted. If there was an issue with his third, they'd get to it eventually.

The Rocker sent out his partner first. "Let's rock! Dragonite!" Out came the absurdly proportioned yellow dragon, though Alex noted this male specimen had filled out his upper half with significant muscle, almost enough to counteract his large and equally muscled, yet still rotund bottom. He looked ready for a battle as he smashed his round claws together, and as Alex sensed his intentions, he felt the dragon take notice, as he met Alex's gaze. He didn't seem hostile, or secretly embracing the Shadow. Indeed, he seemed like the ideal opponent for his own dragon to test his measure against…and perhaps even go beyond his limits. They were on the cusp of the Ultra Class, after all. If the new team members were going to contribute, they needed to get stronger. And evolve.

Kalagon appeared on the field, and fell into his attack stance, confident, and undeterred by the gleam in the Dragonite's eye. Both he and Alex were aware he would likely lose, but the battle would still be a test of how far Kalagon had come, something he was eager to know, and how far he had yet to go. Like his other partners, the Gabite had grown to a large size in a relatively short time, and by Alex's measure, he was close to evolving. Alex called their move first, "Let's go, Dragon Claw!"

Mills seemed unamused by Alex's pick as the middle form dragon lumbered forward. "Thunder Punch."

Alex arched a brow, and the crowd murmured, but then, they saw the point the Rocker was making. His Dragonite struck the charging Gabite, moving in front of him in the space of an eye blink, and while the electric damage did nothing to the ground typed land shark, the physical force of the blow sent Kalagon soaring, fast, out of the field, past his Trainer, and into the gym's wall, where the force of his crash made an impact crater.

Alex ran over, and Clemont joined him via his square floating ref platform. Very rarely did Pokémon so outmatched take so much damage and stay conscious, but to his credit, Kalagon was already on his knees by the time they reached him. "I'm not…done yet!" He snarled as he wiped his mouth with a claw hand, and Alex smirked, as he recognized the affirmation, and its source. Once Alex had started his early morning anime binging, the rest of his team had joined in on watching, unless they were asleep. Lux also had the ability to replay the episodes for those who were sleeping at four A.M.

"No. You're not." Alex affirmed , as he whirled, and pointed at the Dragonite across the gym. "Use Dig!" Kalagon dove into the field's ground once he returned, and Alex bamfed back to his spot as well. Clemont signaled for the round to continue, and the Rocker called his next move. "They're going to get some air, Dragonite! Fly high, and Dragon Dance!" He strummed out a heavy beat for his partner, and Alex chuckled to himself as the yellow dragon head banged his way to a stat boost.

"Match them." Alex ordered, and beneath the ground, Kalagon utilized the move he'd learned from Shruikan, and Tao, a boost not usually learned by his species line, but with it, he promised to be even more absurdly powerful as a Garchomp. Alex noted he was mimicking the Dragonite's movements in the air, and as they unintentionally harmonized their dances, his eyes noted the sudden surge in natural energy in the area, which in this field, was electricity. The air became charged, and a hum flowed through the field turning it into electric terrain, as Rocker Mills was also, naturally, a big fan of electric type moves, and with the power his dragon was summoning, he unintentionally created a field effect. Lightning coursed over everything with intense sparks, and Alex found himself grinning. It had become decidedly more epic, in the gym all of a sudden.

Finally, Kalagon leapt from the ground, and Mills called his move. "Dragonite! Bring down the Thunder!"

"Kalagon!" Alex countered, "Dig through it! Ride the lightning!" His dragon did as ordered, and masterfully rode the ineffective bolt of plasma upwards, shielded from the heat by a shroud of ground energy, probably the one thing that a bolt of burning plasma couldn't damage significantly. Once they had height on the Dragonite, Alex called the counter. "Rock Slide!"

The Dragonite raised an arm against the attack, but cried out as it found it was a critical hit this time. Kalagon was motivated after being so easily punched back, and fate had smiled upon him. Using instincts that would serve him well as a Garchomp, his body rotated in the air, and then shot downwards after his prey, as his Trainer shouted, "Dragon Claw!"

"Giga Impact!" The Rocker countered, and despite the heavy hit downwards, his Dragonite had already brushed off the rocky rubble, and was capable of a counter. A super effective claw ran down the burly Dragonite's chest, but it tanked the move with ease, and countered with a thunderous orange colored uppercut to the jaw. Kalagon's momentum shifted rapidly, as he went soaring into the roof this time. Alex winced along with the crowd, but Kalagon still wasn't done. He'd hung on by sheer force of will, once again showing how determined he was to be strong, but Alex knew he'd had enough.

He managed to glide-fall back to the field, and the Dragonite raised a fist to end him, then lowered it, as he realized the dragon had fainted while standing. Kalagon roared, still very much intending to attack despite his semi-unconscious state driven by sheer willpower, but Alex recalled him, first. Clemont called the round then, as Kalagon was running on fumes, with not even enough strength to resist his ball's recall.

"You did well." Alex said to him, as he sensed the young dragon's frustration. "The time to evolve will come. Just not today. You got in a lot of hits for being so much lower in level. Remember that power. You'll be able to match it some day soon. For now, it will be the bar by which you measure yourself."

The disappointed Gabite growled an acknowledgment, but it was mostly his pride that was actually injured. Gabite scales were absurdly tough, especially this close to evolution. As Alex summoned his next pick, Rocker Mills changed out his Dragonite for his Charizard, and while Alex was tempted to match a Charizard with a Charizard, he'd already picked Adamanteus for this round. He calmed his eager Charizard, claiming he wanted him fresh for whatever Mills had in his third ball. He could guess which rule the Rocker had asked his opponents to accept overlooking.

His Steelix gave the fiery lizard a glare, and then both Trainers shouted at the same time, "Mega Evolve!"

Alex raised his fist, and Mills whammied the bar on the lower part of his guitar. This made it start to shine, and the strands of power reached out to both Pokémon. The crowd whooped as the gym, sensing Mega Forms, began belting out some intense battle music suited to Kalos that the Rocker quickly started harmonizing with, to the crowd's enjoyment. Both Pokémon gained a stat boost, as the cheers escalated.

"Fire Blast!"

"Stone Edge!"

Once more the calls were simultaneous, and once more what should have been type advantage was canceled out by the Charizard's superior strength and level in an explosive collision of power.

Seeing that, Alex stopped aiming for a type advantage, as it was clear the Rocker was ready for such moves. "Use Dig!" He shouted, and with ease, the massive Mega Steelix dove into the ground like it was water.

Rocker Mills was undeterred, and unbothered by the move. He continued rocking out as he shouted, "Bathe the field in flame!" His Mega Charizard Y inhaled, and did as ordered. Very quickly the gym became sweltering, but Alex was used to much hotter temperatures from Blaze. As was Adamanteus.

Alex examined the field, and then said, "Give us some cover. Sandstorm from underground!" Out of the holes Kalagon and Adamanteus had left came a torrent of sand that quickly filled the air. Alex wasn't done yet though. "Now get some air, and use Slam!"

Once more, the Rocker proved to be cool under fire, calling his move masterfully as he continued to harmonize with the gym's music. "Blow away the stooorm! Whirlwind!" The Charizard started beating his wings as Alex called for the move. The quickly summoned storm of sand was blown away easily, and Alex remarked at just how strong the Y strand's wings were. Blaze began formulating a move that, ideally, would come out as a strong substitute for Air Slash.

The storm dissipated as Adamanteus soared into the air, and found himself without cover. Undeterred, he continued into the air with a combination of electromagnetism and inertia, and Mills called the counter. "Flamethrower!"

Alex found himself wincing again as Adamanteus took the hit full on, but Adamanteus was as sturdy as ever, and he countered with his usual brutality. His long body arced through the air and smashed the fire lizard down towards the field, where he had a hard landing.

Alex raised a hand and clenched it into a fist as he called his own counter. The wind from the Mega Charizard's impact sent his cape flaring as he shouted, "Finish it! Rock Slide!"

With a torrent of rumbling finality, Adamanteus buried his opponent in stone from his aerial perch, and the quadruple weakness caused the Charizard to faint. Adamanteus roared from his lofty aerial position, and made no move to lower himself as the crowd whooped and cheered at the brutal KO. He wanted a shot at the Dragonite.

Mills called him out, and once more, the attacks were simultaneous.

"Rock Slide!"

"Fire Puuunch!" The Rocker strummed hard as he vocalized the move in harmony with his axe.

The shower of stone hurt the burly dragon, but he survived intact brushing the rocks off as easily as Kalagon's, and knocked Adamanteus out of the air with a merciless flaming fist. Alex recalled him before he hit the ground. Alex caught the ball as he pulled it back to his hand. "Well done. We'll make more use of that flight power of yours in the future." He hadn't been aware Mega Steelix could essentially fly, or more technically, glide, but having aerial superiority from a ground type was classically a deadly combination, and what made Garchomp's line so notorious. The ball rumbled in his hand as Adamanteus spoke in his mind. "I tire of almost fainting from one hit in every Battle…"

Alex nodded, also responding mentally. "I am too. We're going to have to power you guys up, if we realistically want to win this tournament, assuming everyone else at this level has trained as well as this Rocker has…which means we'll need to visit Selva Muerta." There were some groans from the rest of the team as he said that, and those who had experienced the jungle largely didn't want to return. The younger members though, naturally, began pestering their brothers for details, and Po, naturally, was amazed and astounded, and then, the rest of the newbs were suddenly quite eager to go as well. Terra filled them in on the reality of the jungle, as Alex smirked. It seemed they were all as eager for them to evolve as he was, and in his experience, that was half of what they needed to reach their next evolutionary stage. Blaze came out then, but in a reverse demonstration of power, he brought down the already rather injured Dragonite with a single Thunder Punch, roaring in victory above the friendly crowd as he celebrated.

For his part, the Rocker was holding his third ball in his hand, but didn't throw it. His playing had now also ceased, though the battle music had not. He looked at Clemont, then. "My third is uhh…technically against the rules…but I can tell that he wants to bring this Battle home, for his team. He's helped us out a few times, and won us a few Battles, when my opponents have agreed to face him…I'll just bring'em out."

He threw the ball then, and Alex and Blaze flinched as they saw its occupant, as stunned as the rest of the gym. A Lugia spiraled into the air from the confines of the Ultra Ball, and roared at Alex. It was smaller than Ash's, and by Alex's estimate, barely an adolescent. But still very much a Lugia. It, or rather he, reached out psychically as he greeted the human and Charizard and said, "I hope you can give me a worthy Battle…"

"Looks like we're going to be getting in some proper training, Blaze.." Alex said, confidently, as his eager flame lizard returned to his side of the field after his victory lap. Blaze in particular had been practically salivating at the chance to battle a Lugia in the spring of its youth. Seeing an ancient Lugia use Aeroblast was informative, but it was like watching a martial arts master use a move known only to their style. He could only guess at how to do it. But a younger Lugia promised, potentially, a less experienced attacker, on a scale that Blaze could and would replicate. Typically, Alex kept his original six for battles with Trainers who had either reached or surpassed eighty levels of power. The Lugia was closer to Canis in terms of level and experience, but since he was a Legend, that likely would not hinder him much, especially if his Trainer had trained him up half as well as his other two partners, who'd been much closer to Blaze in terms of level.

Clemont nodded, as he understood what had happened. Given the loose nature of the tournament, exceptions to the rule of what species were allowed had been made more and more frequently, which was fine for the Normal and Great classes. "I'm afraid Lugia aren't a-"

A loud, furious roar erupted from Alex's side of the field as Blaze roared and let out a burst of flame worthy of his name, and once more turned the gym's temperature up. The air shimmered, as he flapped his wings and hovered in the superheated air. "It's alright, Leader Clemont." Alex said. "We're more than fine with facing a younger Lugia. I've seen the Guardian, the source of the legend of their power, in person. This one is…more than a match for Blaze, and as you can see…" He chuckled, as his Charizard's tail flame turned blue, and increased in size. "We're eager to Battle."

Clemont pushed up his glasses, and the light in the sweltering gym covered his eyes. "I'm afraid I can't make an exception this time, gentlemen. The World Tournament has always been a place for natural born Pokémon to show their power. We don't need to see Legendary Pokémon here, they're already legends. This tournament is where a Trainer and their team can make their own legend, on a world stage. For an Ultra Class Qualifying Match, I'm afraid Legendary Pokémon are not allowed. In which case, the match is a draw."

The Trainers sighed, and the crowd booed, but Clemont wasn't done. "However." He said, using a robotic arm apparently built into the blue and yellow suit he was wearing, to gain their attention. "In the event of a draw for a Qualifying Match, the two evenly matched Trainers can decide how to settle who advances on their own terms."

Alex arched an eyebrow at the Gym Leader. "Our own terms?"

Clemont elaborated. "One of you could decide to forfeit, for example…and the other would then advance. How you decide who does the forfeiting is a conversation you two need to have. Perhaps a contest of some sort. Otherwise, you'll just have another match with someone else in a few days." A slight smirk came to his lips.

Alex snapped his fingers. "I see. So if Rocker Mills and I were to, say, have a Battle unbound by the World Tournament's restrictions to decide the draw…?" He spelled it out for the crowd, as the guitarist seemed to have taken Clemont's meaning as well. They started murmuring as they realized what the clever Gym Leader was doing.

"Then the League would honor that decision, and one of you would advance, while the other would lose one match against the three they would have to enter the Ultra Class. I take it you're still going to Battle?"

Both Trainers nodded at Clemont's question, and Blaze and the Lugia roared simultaneously. They'd been staring each other down in an intense eye lock while the humans deliberated, but it seemed that deliberation was now over. Neither cared for the human's little rules, they were going to battle either way, at this point, and the crowd roared, very much eager for such a showdown between an icon like a Charizard, and the Legendary Lugia. By this point, word about the Lugia facing down Champion Redwood's Charizard had brought the gym to full capacity.

Mills gestured to his opponent. "My partner is a Legend…so we'll let you two go first."

Alex and Blaze smirked in unison, as the crowd's cheers empowered him some more, with a boost that, by Alex's count, made both combatants evenly matched, stat wise. "You may regret that." He said, before putting his closed right fist, against his open left palm. His Key Stone flared, but he didn't draw from it this time, rather he summoned his own inner dragon energy, and used its reaction with Blaze's Flame Plate to achieve Mega Evolution. Blaze's eyes went wide, as his essence connected to his Trainer's, and catapulted him down one of the two evolutionary branches his species could take. His leathery scales turned black, his wings became more curved and suited to gliding rather than flying long distances. His claws grew longer and tougher, and as he roared, the symbol of Infinity appeared over his new form, blue flames began leaking from his mouth. "Smokescreen!" Alex called, as he finished powering up.

"Blow it awaaay!" The Rocker shrieked alongside his guitar. The Lugia vocalized after his Trainer, and a single wing flap completely blew away the smoke covering Blaze, but the flame dragon was already charging. Alex called the move as he was revealed.

"Get close and Crunch!" Blaze was still rather fast, despite his limited flight capability, and speed had been one of the boosts their fans had given them with their positive vibes. He zoomed up by the Lugia's neck, and both he and Alex saw its eyes tracking him as he did so.

"Lugia…giv'em a Dual Wingbeat!" The Lugia roared as Blaze connected the attack, and he used his powerful neck to whip the Mega Charizard X upwards, at which point he spun, striking first with one wing hand, then the other. Blaze went spinning, but Alex used it to reclaim their momentum. Blaze feigned being dazed as he purposefully kept spinning, which goaded their opponents into attacking.

Mills seized on what he saw as an opportunity. His guitar roared as loudly as he did. "Blow'em away! Aeroblaaast!"

Blaze's eyes shot open at the sound of that particular move, and while the Lugia's eyes narrowed in suspicion, he continued with his signature move. The air in the gym bowed to the Lugia's power, and both Blaze and Alex watched as he masterfully summoned, guided, and condensed the attack as allegedly only Lugia could.

Still spinning and seemingly dazed, Alex started their counter. "Dodge with Dragon Dance!" Blaze's dazed spinning suddenly worked to give his dance momentum, and he sped up his rotations rapidly, in time for the Aeroblast. The humming power of the attack grazed Blaze's stomach as he barrel rolled with his dance, and because it was a flying move, the intense wind still damaged him. Slightly. "Now go high!" Alex shouted as his Charizard managed the dodge. "Rock Slide!"

At the height of his spin, Blaze leveled out, and with a furious roar, summoned the rock typed power for his attack. The shower of stone fell towards the Lugia, but Rocker Mills wasn't done. "Send them back! Twister!" To the ear pleasing chords of his Trainer's instrument, the Lugia complied, summoning his mastery of the air to redirect the attack back at Blaze.

Alex smirked, as he saw how much focus the Lugia needed for the attack. "Dragon Claw through!" Blaze did so, easily slashing through the super effective attack, as it had lost a bit of its initial power. Then, his right fist started sparking, and Alex called the move. "Thunder Punch!" The momentum of the Twister brought Blaze straight to the Lugia, and the gym hummed as thunder boomed, and the punch struck home. The electrified terrain also empowered the damage the Lugia took, making its eyes widen, as it took more than expected.

The Lugia crashed to the ground with great force, creating a large crater in the gym's field, and as that happened, Rocker Mills began playing a different song, one much more chill in tone that somehow made the gym's automatic battle music fainter in comparison. It was a song Alex recognized as belonging to Lugia's line, and if the stories about Ash Ketchum were true, one capable of healing them.

As the peaceful rock melody ended, the Lugia's eyes snapped open, and in an instant it was levitating in the air again. A single roar accompanied by a wing flap made the air in the entire gym whirl and stir in a cyclone. Sensing this level of power, the gym's energy barrier sprang to life around the crowd. Suddenly more condensed, the Lugia's attack actually started to affect Blaze, whose flying skills were significantly lessened in this form.

Sensing a brutal counter coming, Alex shouted, "Smokescreen!" Blaze growled, forced his wings to straighten out, and then flew with the wind's current. Smoke billowed from his mouth as he spun through the air currents, and this time, the smoke filled the condensed space, though it was still being moved by the wind. "Now Crunch!"

"Grab it!" The Rocker shouted, and the large hand of the Lugia reached out to where he sensed Blaze, but the Charizard moved too fast for him, barrel rolling around and then through the Lugia's fingers and past his guard. Blaze landed the powerful Crunch attack, and what vitality had been recovered was chomped through as Blaze then disappeared into the smoke again.

"Weather Ball!" Mills shouted through the smoke, hoping that would disperse the Smokescreen. The weather-based attack formed, and turned poison type as it absorbed and condensed the smoke. As the Lugia fired, Alex saw a path to victory.

They couldn't dodge the attack, but going through it would give them a chance to end the round. "Dragon Claw through it!" Blaze, now revealed and free of the intense swirling winds, lit up his claws with a fiery orange aura, and slashed effortlessly through the Weather Ball. He tried barrel rolling out of it, but he misjudged how wide the explosion radius was, and caught a mouthful of poison.

As the status effect took hold, Blaze pushed through the pain, and flew close to the Lugia with his Mega Form's speed. Thunder boomed, as Alex called the electric move, and the sparking uppercut to the Lugia's jaw finally brought it to unconsciousness, as it crashed to the field, spread eagle on its back and fainted.

There was a stunned pause, during which Blaze roared about his victory for all to hear. The crowd soon echoed him, erupting in cheers, and he let his Mega Form drop, panting hard, as he landed. The Lugia slowly regained consciousness, rolled onto his front, and then eyed Blaze, giving him a nod of respect. It wasn't often that regular Pokémon could best him, but this Charizard was very motivated, and well trained. Blaze stomped over to ask the Lugia how Aeroblast worked, while Alex and Rocker Mills met in the center of the field for a handshake, and a silent mutual nod of respect. The simple gesture was enough, Alex could tell the Rocker had also enjoyed the battle.

Clemont updated the stats to reflect the victory, and as quickly as Rocker Mills had appeared, he left on his rejuvenated Charizard. Alex tried to leave the gym like a normal person as well, but he ended up outside of it, chatting with his mob of fans, and eventually relaxing with his team outside the Lumiose Tower in an impromptu Leaf circle. He'd texted Marinette to meet him, and by the time she'd arrived, Connor and Adrien had joined him, and he was mid-debate about letting teenagers get high. He was actually against it, but Connor saw no harm, and Adrien had quietly said he didn't want any at least four times by that point, but Connor refused to let the issue drop.

"I just don't see the harm. We turned out fine after all." He said, passing the bong back to Alex, who hit it and shook his head.

"That's my point, dude. You can't see the harm this stuff does to organs besides your lungs. It's just not a good idea to regularly drown a growing brain with THC. He's got more than enough chemicals up there already."

"Marinette!" Adrien said, leaping to his feet and out of the conversation. He brought her up to speed with their conversation, and she looked at the two strongest defenders of her region with thinly veiled disgust. She found the herb's smell to be too much, like most people seemed to, and she didn't like the idea of Adrien becoming as much of a Leafhead as Alex and Connor were.

"If you two are done, we should be getting our last two Badges." Her tone suggested they should be done. Immediately.

Alex and Connor shared a look. Once again, they'd rendezvoused at high noon, and the stragglers who'd smoked with them had moved on already. The two men sighed and stood, stretching out their stiffness in unison, before summoning their rides, Blaze and Gar. Once more, and for practicality, they visited different gyms at the same time. Adrien was headed for the ice typed gym, while Marinette, or more specifically Tikki, had suggested they go to the psychic gym in Anistar City.

As they approached, the two human's heads perked up, as they sensed the city's primary landmark, before they saw it. The Anistar Sundial was surrounded by a small crowd as they approached, and Alex noted those around the sundial were all dressed the same. Everyone else, who was standing around the plaza, looked to be with the press. Evidently, they'd either figured out or overheard where he and his apprentice were going. At the head of the party around the sundial was an older woman garbed in a long silver cape that was gleaming in the sun. Her hair was shades of purple and uniquely styled. He assumed she was Leader Olympia.

Blaze brought them down in a small blaze of flame at a safe distance, and Olympia started speaking, and now that he was closer, Alex felt her using her powers in what he recognized as Future Sight. Her eyes were shining a soft purple and the bangles around her wrists were spinning. "In a blaze of fire they arrive…to rejuvenate the heart of our city." The older woman's eyes stopped glowing and she bowed low as Alex and Marinette disembarked. Alex could tell she was using her power to keep herself looking like she always had, as she straightened again. "I have looked forward to meeting you for some time, Dragon Emperor. It is an honor to be in your presence."

Alex respectfully nodded at her. "Leader Olympia. I'm glad I'm able to visit. Your Sundial has always interested me, and if I'm honest…every time I've been in Kalos I've felt a…pull. I've ignored it so far, but I can tell this is the source…"

Olympia nodded sagely. "It draws you to it. A rare occurrence. Only one other person has been drawn to it like this."

Alex arched an eyebrow. "Who?"

She smiled at him, "The Imperator of Mankind. It must have been…twenty seven or so years ago, now. He arrived without fanfare, and in simple robes. A disguise of sorts. I know not what he came for…but I believe he left disappointed." She eyed him in a manner that made his spine fill with chills. "I do believe you will do better. After the Gym Battle, of course."

Alex nodded at Marinette then. "You're up, Padawan."

She blinked at him. "So we are just copying the Pokémon Wars Saga?"

Alex shrugged. "It was more of a friendly nickname, but you're right, we probably shouldn't…" Behind him, he heard the reporters start buzzing as they started talking, and as he scanned their surface thoughts, he frowned at what they were saying. Apparently they also thought that was the name for the younger scales.

Olympia chuckled. "When one leads nations, one must mind what they say. Always. The same is true of Gym Leaders." Her Gym Trainers moved in unison, and with a quiet bamf, Olympia took her place on what Alex realized was a battlefield. "Join your…Padawan, Emperor Redwood." She proclaimed loudly, further cementing what the apprentices would be known as. "I'll give you a Badge as well. If you two manage to win. We can count it towards your World Tournament ranking too. Congratulations on reaching the Ultra Class."

Alex was about to politely decline, as he was well aware of what he'd need to do if he wanted a Tera Orb from Naranuva Academy, but Marinette smiled at him with her big blue hopeful eyes, and judging by Olympia's expression, she already knew what was going to happen. Thus, instead of fighting fate, he nodded.

Olympia sent out her partners then, seemingly only having two at the moment. A Meowstic and a Slowking appeared, and both were female. Alex just nodded, and then summoned Noir. "Handle the Slowqueen. We'll take the Meowstic." He glanced at his partner then, and smirked. Noir was trying to hide it under a facade of aloofness, but anyone with eyes could see the feminine psychic cat had caught his eye.

As Marinette picked her partner, Olympia raised a hand towards Noir, and the bracelet floating around her wrist started to spin. "Ooh my." She murmured, before meeting Alex's gaze. "That one will be…quite fierce. But loyal. A worthy partner, for a worthy Trainer."

Noir grumbled. "There's nothing fierce about being a girly cat magician."

Olympia looked at Alex expectantly, and he translated. "He doesn't like the idea of being a 'feminine magician'." Alex said, employing literal air quotes.

Olympia chuckled. "He does not have to be."

Marinette paused her partner picking in surprise, as she knew Meowscarada didn't have a record of an alternate form. It wouldn't be the first time a starter line had diverged, though.

Alex and Noir had a similar reaction as they shared a look. "How?" Alex asked, at the same time Noir did.

Once more Olympia chuckled, and closed her eyes. "Bring him…to the Forest of Death. Bring him to Selva Muerta. He will find himself there. Or, he will die. You know how reading the future can be."

Alex nodded sympathetically. It was like watching a movie with no context and jumbled words, and it was always in constant motion. Future Sight could make it clearer, for a time, but what was viewed could change if the present altered drastically enough.

Alex just smirked, as he sensed Noir was very much on board with not becoming a standard Meowscarada. Alex was sad that Flower Trick, a somewhat 'holy' move to Leafheads because of the amount of power it had when used by a Terastalized Meowscarada, was not something that his would probably learn. He was glad Noir had an alternative though, as he considered that better than being crippled in high level battles by not evolving at all. "We were already planning to head there after we visited Paldea. Is there somewhere specific we need to go?"

Olympia gave him a coy smile. "I'll tell you, if you can manage a win!"

At that moment, Tikki joined Noir, and upon seeing who she was battling alongside, giggled at a joke only she understood. As a being that existed across multiple universes simultaneously, the multidimensional similarities she experienced always amused her. She floated around Noir excitedly. "Let's do our best, kitty!" She held a hand out for a fist bump then, and after eyeing her for a long moment, Noir uncrossed his arms, bumped her fist, and then fell into a battle crouch with his claws extended.

Olympia went first. "Slowking, use Psychic. Meowstic, use Shadow Ball." Both of her Pokémon formed their attacks, and fired them off. Just by looking, Alex could tell they'd mastered these moves, and probably their others as well.

"Bug Buzz, Tikki!" "Noir. Night Slash." The two challengers leapt straight into the attacks, with Tikki overpowering the wave of psychic power, and Noir masterfully slashing through the Shadow Ball, leaving it in two explosive halves. Noir took the initiative, dashing forward, and hesitantly striking the female Meowstic.

Seeing his half-hearted attempt, the Meowstic slashed at him, and Olympia gave her another command. "Psychic!" The Meowstic's ears extended, and Alex winced, as he knew what came next. Noir was about to learn the same lesson most feline Pokémon did when they found their eye caught by a female Meowstic.

Noir yelped as he was unceremoniously levitated into the air, and then violently shaken around by the Meowstic, who true to her nature, held nothing back. Beside him, the Slowking and Tikki were exchanging special attacks, but Tikki kept overwhelming her psychic moves with bug type counters. As Noir was slammed into the ground, he was slow to rise, and Olympia called for another Psychic attack. Once more Noir was yanked into the air and tossed around like a rag doll.

He reached out mentally to his Trainer, who was grimacing. "A little…help…"

"I can't do anything, Noir…but Dark Type energy negates Psychic Type energy completely. If you can cowl your body in it, it might protect you." He activated his Dread Plate, and urged the dark energy towards Noir. Verbally, he said, "Noir! Activate your Aura Shield!"

Olympia frowned briefly, but then smirked. "He hasn't mastered it. Don't let him don his shield, Meowstic."

Noir tried to do as his older brothers had shown him, but before he could so much as try, Meowstic once more had him in the air, violently shifting around. Alex's mind was with him though, a center of balance and calm in the violent movements of the attack. "I'm here, Noir. Focus. Embrace the power. You won't be able to hear us too well in your mind once you have the shield up, but we're still here. Always."

Noir heard his team encouraging him, and then, there was silence. The first silence in his head since Alex caught him. As much as he liked his teammates, he found he also valued his privacy. He felt the dark energy surrounding him, and it just felt…right. Cold, ominous, powerful, but a part of him, and his species. He felt his feline instincts right his body as he landed in a three point crouch, and stood. Darkness flared from his eyes as he opened them, and he took in the Meowstic.

Much like Meowscarada, the darkness had formed a cape around his shoulders, and he found he looked a bit like his Trainer, as it was a full, long energy cloak that hung down to his lower paws, not unlike a Meowscarada's, save that his wasn't split. He'd made a literal cowl of darkness.

"Noir." His ears perked up at his Trainer's voice. "End this. Night Slash." Noir dashed forward, his shield flaring as he did, and the Meowstic tried knocking him out with a Psyshock. Had it landed, he would have fainted, but he blocked with his aura shield, and then leapt masterfully at the Meowstic. Any hesitation he'd had earlier had faded with the Psychic slamming, and the revealed nature of what Meowstic was like.

Between Leo and a few other older teammates, Noir had learned Night Slash early, and as he leapt and critically slashed his target twice in a row, thanks to Night Slash's crit rate, Alex was certain he'd mastered the move. As he finished his opponent, Tikki did the same, eventually winning the contest between waves of psychic and bug type energy and causing the female Slowking to fall over.

Marinette offered a fist bump to her master, who didn't leave her hanging, and Olympia approached them after recalling her partners. "Well done, you two. There weren't any combined attacks, but you two didn't seem to need them." She approached Marinette then. "You have the same potential as your Master." She let out a little chuckle. "Learn well…Padawan." Marinette and Tikki eyed their seventh badge, and Olympia handed one to Alex as well. "Now that you have this…I ask that you approach our Sundial."

Alex slowly raised an eyebrow. "And what do I do, exactly…?"

Olympia just gave him another mysterious smirk. "You will know."

As he approached the massive pinkish red crystalline structure, he realized quickly just how massive it was. The crowd of news hounds behind the battlefield all started jabbering as they tried to approach Alex, but Olympia and her Trainers psychically held back the crowd.

Alex barely heard what they said to the reporters, as he felt the sundial psychically react to his proximity. He had a sudden and inexplicable urge to get his Key Stone, and as he pulled it out of his shirt, it started shining as it had when it was first given to him by Indius's aspect of the Qilin, in a rainbow of very obviously shining colors.

On its own power, the radiant Key Stone flew out of its setting on his pendant and booped the sundial. The massive monolith began gleaming with the same rainbow of colors and Alex just watched, in awe. His Key Stone floated back into its setting, and seemed just as sturdy as ever once it stopped glowing. The sundial also faded in its shining rainbow brilliance, though it still glowed with light that had been hard to see previously. Alex sensed what he could only describe as gratitude from the seemingly semi sentient stone. Curious, he used his earthbending to feel what was going on beneath the stone, and then he started to better understand. It felt like pieces of rock were moving, but they were incomplete, as if their cores were a material even mighty earthbenders couldn't break. Figuring it was diamond, that would make the movement below from Carbink, and where there were Carbink one could, sometimes, find Diancie. Though if one was around, she did not make herself known to him.

"You're welcome…" He murmured.

Then, something strange happened, something that, judging by Olympia's reaction, she had not foreseen. A small circular hole appeared in the sundial, and yet another stone floated off of his person, though this time, he recognized it as the Soul Dew that Shruikan had given him after returning from wherever he'd spent his brief vacation.

He reached out a hand as the Soul Dew floated into the circular opening, but stopped, as he sensed the sphere of dragon and psychic energy pulse with power. It radiated through the sundial seven times, and then everything started glowing impossibly bright, blinding Alex, the gym members, anyone looking at the sundial, and the press.

When the light faded, Alex glanced around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary immediately. Then, he heard the press murmuring, and he felt Olympia's mental presence guide his eyes skyward. He gasped, as he saw what everyone else did.

Floating just before the center of the sundial was the Soul Dew, but now it looked more like a Pokémon Egg, less of a sphere, and more of an oval shape. Then, he spied a crack in its shell as it floated down to his eye level, and settled in his large hands. With a final brilliant flash, the egg popped open, and a cute little Lati face gave him a big smile from under what was left of its shell.

The tiny baby wings popped free next, and the little snoot reached towards Alex, booping his nose. The baby giggled then, and Alex raised a hand to pet its head. Its feathers were gray, instead of red or blue, but upon petting him, Alex saw blue tones underneath that would likely come in after he molted, assuming his feathers would behave like normal ones.

He yanked his hand back in surprise then, as upon having the baby's snout touch his palm, it suddenly and inexplicably burned and then cooled rapidly. It was more surprising than painful, and as he looked at his hand, he saw a silvery mark reminiscent of the symbol that appeared above Mega Forms when they first ascended to that level, embedded on his lower palm. The little one curled up in his hands then, and after confirming with Shruikan that he had not known this would potentially happen, Alex turned, and showed the crowd of onlookers the little Latios, holding him up like Simba as he did so. Sensing this, the little head lifted again, as he warily took in the crowd of humans with psychic potential, and those with bright flashing lights.

For his part, Alex sensed a new connection to his mind, a sensation he was quite familiar with by now, and he carefully wove it into the mental network that his team shared. Even Eremus and Arthur paid notice, as the young but powerful mind joined theirs with…delight? Amusement? Alex's eyes were closed by this point, and in the spacious mind space he called his own, he and his team psychically greeted their newest teammate. The little Latios was ecstatic, and, Alex noted, greeted his team in the order he'd caught them. Saur and Terra were first. Then Leo, Hydrus, Blaze, and so on. He greeted them all, flitting about the mind space with joy, until finally, he returned to his Trainer. Then, to their immense shock, the freshly hatched baby spoke with words, instead of emotions. "I like this team. I like the look of you, Human. Will you be my partner?"

"I have questions." Alex said, as the latent excitement from his team made him smirk. They were all very much on board with having a Latios among them, especially his dragons.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't!" The baby chirped.

"First things first…you need a name. Do you have one already…?" Alex asked, and the Latios chuckled.

"I do. In past lives I have gone by Aevum. But you may call me something else."

Alex shook his head. "Aevum will do nicely. It seems you've answered my other question as well. Exactly how many past lives are we talking, here? Do all Latios eventually reincarnate?"

"I've lost count." Aevum said, doing a little loop in the air as he floated around Alex. "And yes…sometimes, over a very long period, we can revive with our memories intact…provided we are kept near a source of Dragon energy. When one of my kind wishes to persist beyond the death of the flesh, we can…deposit our essence into what your kind calls Soul Dew. We persist in our bodies, but our minds, our essence, is in the Soul Dew. Sometimes…we enter it as we perish. And not all Soul Dew eventually reincarnates. Our energy can be spent, and in that case, we will return to the cycle as any other Pokémon does. It's actually a pretty rare phenomenon, among my species. I believe I'm the one who's done it successfully the most, but that's because I always return to the same place, a place suffused with Dragon Type Energy. Shruikan knows what I'm talking about."

Alex pondered this information, and his smirk got smaller. His granduncle would've flipped over a discovery like this. "I take it you don't want me talking about how any of this works?" Aevum nodded, and Alex sighed. "In that case…we need to address the crowd, right now. You've revived quite publicly this time…which brings me to my last question. Did you intend to revive right now?"

Aevum chuckled, and met his gaze straight on. The eyes were young, but the Latios was quite intelligent. "Not entirely…I had a bit longer to go until I reformed, but I sensed going with you, traveling the world as you have since acquiring me, would lead me to an early awakening. The Sundial was kind enough to help me, because you rejuvenated it. Now, here I am. Once more, I get to fly the skies of this world…once you train me of course." Aevum pointed at the intimidating mental vision of sparking draconic death that was Shruikan. "I need to be around his…level, as you'd call it."

Alex smirked at his newest partner. "We can get you there." With that settled, Alex and Aevum opened their eyes, shared a nod, and then the 'young' Latios went into the Luxury Ball that Alex brought out for him. He walked towards the crowd of cameras as he caught his latest partner. "I have places to be, so I'm going to answer the obvious questions before I leave. No, I didn't intend for any of that to happen. No, I didn't know my Soul Dew could reincarnate, and yes, young Aevum is now very much a part of my team." With that, he turned back to Olympia as the reporters started shouting other questions. "Sorry about all this. Your city is probably going to get popular for a while."

Olympia waved a hand, seemingly uncaring towards the press as she had been so far. "It's nothing I did not expect. You should challenge our League, sometime, Dragon Emperor. I'm not sure if you heard, but Galar's Chairman was disappointed you left without so much as entering a Gym."

Alex gave her a tight smile as he said, "The Galar circuit is a bit…intense, for my other partners right now, but not strong enough to give my top ten too much of a challenge. Maybe I'll revisit them after we hit Selva Muerta. Most of their Gym Leaders are in the Ultra Class already. They might just get us to the top of the bracket."

Olympia nodded, eager but still poised, as always. "Your Battles through the strongest Trainers of this era were too bright to see clearly. But I know that team of yours will give us some of the best we've seen. Train hard, Dragon Emperor. Harder than you currently intend to." With that, she winked, and was off, her squad of Gym Trainers. Alex quietly pondered her words. He understood how altering the future worked. It wasn't quite as simple as just telling someone something, there had to be action, and right now, it seemed the actions he intended to take would not be enough to surpass the heights that Ash Ketchum had dominated for decades.

Alex and Marinette watched them go, and then promptly departed as well. They met Connor in Snowbelle City, which was unique in that it was a snowstorm in a temperate area. It didn't take long to figure out the gym was the source of the deep freeze. As they arrived, Adrien's name appeared on the pillars that typically displayed the names of victorious challengers. Further up, Alex spied Connor, Serena, Calem, and then even Ash's name. There weren't many other names, a testament to a gym that was usually faced at the end of the Kalos circuit.

"We'll meet you two in Lumiose again once we're done with Olympia." Connor said to Alex, as the two teenagers had a private moment. Once they were done, Marinette faced the entrance of the gym's layout.

"Remember, Wulfric is usually number eight. He's strong enough to freeze an entire town. Fire may not be enough."

Marinette nodded at Alex's counsel. "What else beats Ice Types?"

Mentally, Alex added memorizing most type matchups to their to-do list, and said, "Fire, Rock, and Fighting Types will be your best bet. I would save Trixx if you can. As long as possible."

Marinette nodded, affirming her resolve as Adrien made his way down from the back of the gym, along with Wulfric, whose eyebrows were singed thanks to the ferocity of Adrien's Incineroar. Prepared as he was for Fire Types, Wulfric had melted and shattered before the burning onslaught that Incineroar were known for. As they approached, Wulfric greeted Marinette, and excused himself for the Pokémon Center, promising to be back soon.

Alex and Connor gave the teens a minute, and stepped outside. "I'm going to see if I can get some of my young ones to evolve." Alex said, eyeing the nearby route leading to the Pokémon League. Adamanteus could get some real practice in, and the littles would benefit from the experience.

Connor nodded. "They seem close. I'll leave you to it. My team could use a rest too."

The pair of Champions split up, and Alex stood on Shruikan's large back as he flew over route twenty one, and victory road, certain that the display would attract at least one Trainer.

In the end, he attracted six Trainers, all of which were masterfully crushed by Adamanteus. The giant steel snake quickly learned the difference between a battle with stakes, and a battle on the road, and found battles against worthy Trainers to be far more desirable. It wasn't that they were weak, necessarily. They were some of the strongest in the region, the problem was that Adamanteus was strong enough to one shot most of them, and yet still low enough to be taken down with type advantage from Pokémon higher leveled than him. He made decent progress towards closing that gap, though.

Wanting to evolve after their own wins, his Oshawott and Sobble, Maromnis and James, opted to face wild Pokémon, despite their superior levels. With some clever tactics, namely camouflage, James managed a win and surged to the next stage of his life, upon which he immediately started staying in his ball all the time and watching anime and the other James Bond movies. He was reluctant to leave his ball, except to 'hone his spy skills'.

Maromnis opted to wait for something more his level, after a rather strong Bisharp rolled him with its superior fighting skills. After the sixth match and James's evolution, Alex got a call from a very satisfied Marinette, and within minutes, Shruikan had them reunited and on their way to Lumiose to meet up with Adrien and Connor.

The rest of the night went quickly, since it was so fun. The restaurant the Kalos locals took him to also served their teams, and after that they split up for the night. Alex and Connor introduced those with thumbs to Super Smash, and after restarting their rivalry after years, Alex was forced to admit defeat. He was out of practice with Roy, and Connor had somehow retained his god-tier skill with Marth. Po and Gren ended up playing late into the night as everyone else who was interested joined Alex for the anime marathon that lasted until he fell into his trance, though even in that state, he absorbed the plot. More or less. There was a lot of filler to get through.

They rose late the next morning, and after successfully completing the entire Kalos circuit in only a few days, the two Champions said the teens could challenge the League on their own time, as they were both eager to get to Paldea. Connor also knew of the ideal spot for grinding up one's attack power, and had some tweaks to make to his team, as well.

They decided to traverse the more manageable mountains between Kalos and Paldea on foot, since there were so many Trainers on the 'routes' between the regions. Alex and Connor split up, for some semblance of fairness against their generally less skilled opponents, while the two teens made their way as a pair.

Romulus, who had since stolen Leo's spot on their Trainer's lap during their rest time, was tag teaming with Maromnis against a Birdkeeper with wild curly hair called Tobias. Toby, as he preferred to go by, was also training some younger members of his team, though he had a full set of ten already, and like Alex, was in the Ultra Class. They'd tried having a World Tournament match, but it seemed there were limits to even a Drone Rotom's reception. Toby claimed the 'strange crystals' that had been popping up in the area between the two regions were likely the cause, but they'd agreed to battle anyway, and let their younger team members get some experience.

Having already decided to become a Day Form Lycanroc, Romulus was quite eager, and Maromnis hoped that, as his Trainer claimed, becoming a Samurott would make him on par with foes like Bisharp. Their opponents were a young Togetic, and a Pidgeotto who seemed as close to evolving as Maromnis was.

Being the faster pair, Maromnis and Romulus went first. Unlike most of his battles, Alex was going with psychic commands, as Toby wanted experience against other psychic Trainers who had less moral standards than Alex. The higher one went in the World Tournament, the less rules there tended to be on how one could battle. The idea was to limit one's battle style as little as possible, though Alex preferred an even contest nine out of ten times.

Maromnis kicked things off with an Ice Beam, while Romulus aimed a Rock Slide at the Togetic. Toby stayed cool though, as he raised a gloved hand with a Key Stone embedded by the wrist and shouted, "Dodge and counter! Aerial Ace!"

His Pidgeotto reacted with the instincts of a battler, but the Togetic was too slow. As it got buried by a shower of rocks, its teammate dodged and weaved gracefully through the Ice Beams from Maromnis. Seeing that, Alex simply smirked, and the aspiring samurai otter switched to his scalchops.

Maromnis had his sight linked with his Trainer's as well, and while the Pidgeotto's attack was masterful, time seemed to slow for Maromnis as he readied his scalchop. The Pidgeotto's attack suddenly went off course as the Oshawott began shining with the light of evolution, and instead of waiting for it to finish, Maromnis drew his new, second scalchop, and delivered a devastating critical Razor Shell to the strong bird as fate smiled upon him. He kept up the pressure too, but Tobias countered with a continued Aerial Ace. At the buried Togetic being stalked by the Rockruff, he shouted, "Get out of there with Ancient Power!"

Romulus flinched as he processed Alex's counter, and while he felt bad, he also wanted to win and evolve like Maromnis had. The Ancient Power raised the Rock Slide slowly, only to then be ruthlessly crushed by a Rock Tomb. As Alex sensed it faint, he had Romulus shift the rocks off of the poor two foot fairy, and as he did so, he started to shine as well. "We'll make this a one on one now, in the interest of fairness." Alex said, as Maromnis and the Pidgeotto faced off.

The Bird Keeper raised an eyebrow. "You sure? Your Dewott might be a bit…underleveled."

Alex's smirk widened. "I know my partner will do his best. I can ask no more."

Toby shrugged, and then called the move with the same panache as before. "Dodge in close with Aerial Ace! Don't let up!"

As ordered, the large bird's beak started shining with flying energy, and said energy made dodging Maromnis ease itself. Then, suddenly, the Dewott stopped, and sheathed his scalchops. Like Noir, Leo, Po, and everyone else, Maromnis had found a fondness for animated entertainment, and naturally upon learning Gren could use Iai sword strikes, he'd endeavored to learn, but he'd been limited by only one scalchop. Now, Alex could see just how well he'd learned the ninja frog's techniques as he crouched before the oncoming bird of prey. The long hours their teams had spent together were paying off. Blast had also grown stronger thanks to Connor's strength training.

Once more, fate smiled upon the aspiring samurai, as he struck critically once more using a trick that Connor had once used on Saur. There was a flash of bright energy as Maromnis struck simultaneously with the Pidgeotto, but as Toby saw his icy Razor Shells, he knew he'd been beaten. Maromnis looked supremely satisfied, as he spun his shells back into their sheaths and free of the ice.

Tobias just grinned as he recalled his partner. "Ice covered Scalchops… I love it! And that technique! I hope we can Battle again when he's a Samurott." The Bird Keeper offered a hand as he joined Alex on the rocky battlefield. Alex clasped the hand as Maromnis ate enough berries to recover the damage he'd taken from blocking Aerial Ace.

Both Trainers blinked in surprise as their Key Stones started shining and reacting. The hand clasp ended as the Bird Keeper examined his Key Stone, first with worry, then with awe. "It's like it…woke up, or something."

Alex nodded, eyeing his own now non-glowing stone. "The Guardian of Indius gave me mine. It keeps reacting to stones everywhere I go. I'm sure yours will still work…it might even work better."

Toby eyed Alex's stone, and then locked eyes with him. "Has it…awakened any new powers?"

Alex shook his head. "Not really. Not yet anyway. It woke up my Soul Dew which hatched into a Latios, but other than that and empowering Anistar City's Sundial, its pretty much been a regular Key Stone."

"Hmm. Well if you discover something new…share it! The world is already watching you after you figured out a new use for Plate shards. And solved the damage that unchecked Infinity Energy can cause."

Alex waved away the Bird Keeper's words. "I don't think I'm that well respected. Yet."

Toby shook his head adamantly. "You are though, Victory League Champion. Trainers listen to you. Especially now. You have more fans than you know. Perhaps you should speak to them more often."

Alex just chuckled and shook his head. "It still boggles my mind…having fans. In a club, no less." He straightened up, and met the Bird Keeper's gaze evenly. "I'll take your advice, Bird Keeper. It's long past time I interacted with my fans in an organized space. I hope we can have a proper match, in the finals."

With that, the pair of Trainers split to continue their search for experience to grind. Romulus ran around, testing his new limbs and his new vocal chords as he howled at the sky. Noir also got some exercise, and Alex rotated his newer teammates until they were all at a high enough level to survive and thrive in the Forest of Death. The Trainers and wild Pokémon gave them enough experience, and as they reached the far northeastern edge of Paldea, they reconvened with their group, and had lunch.

Alex joined Po at the edge of their steep and mountainous camp site. The young bear was now equal parts muscle and floof, and he had ignored his food, temporarily, in favor of the goal before him. As he got his first look at the bamboo forests and obsidian capped mountains, Alex said, "Behold, young Po. This, is Paldea. This, is what they call…Area One, of the northern province."

Po cracked his knuckles, and his eyes were on fire. "Finally…Area One…I will conquer you!" He declared loudly, and Alex just smirked knowingly, guessing correctly in this instance that the Pokémon below had heard his declaration.

Underground Arcean HQ - Central States, Dragon Empire

"You have been lied to. About a great many things. Caleb Pravus lied to you because he thought little of your intelligence. His predecessor lied about something much worse, though. The true nature…of those with psychic powers." Proditor addressed the crowd of Arceans, as many as they could gather, and his own psychic power was already scanning the crowd for those with the potential his ascendance would require. Unfortunately, the Fornian Dictator had been ruthlessly thorough in rooting out those with psychic abilities. Those the Arceans had captured and taken from their homes were already in the Original Dragon's claws, but he held out hope.

"Our beliefs are ancient, as am I. I was chosen to succeed the Holder of Arceus, but the greedy men of my age kept me from my destiny. Now, they are long since dust, and their descendants lack their power and foresight." He psychically made the humans among the Arceans with psychic potential shine with a bright purple aura. "The worthy among you will learn to harness your powers and use them in service of our goals! You are not half breeds or impure of blood! You are what the ancient ancestors of our race called Newtypes… a new type of Human, the next stage of our evolution as a species! Come! Join me on the stage and let us welcome those who will rule in the new era we will create together!"

The glowing candidates looked like they'd rather be anywhere else, and maybe two were grinning confidently, very much on board with having more power and status. As the twenty or so potential psychics stood on the stage, Proditor grinned beneath his shadowed hood. He knew how base humans, especially religious zealots with a severe lack of intelligence like these, reacted to being told that the minority they despised and discriminated against were being given authority and power.

A murmur went through the crowd as Proditor gestured to his candidates now standing on the stage with his other, richer, minions. As instructed, what was left of the muscular meat heads that had answered to and protected Pravus and his Hands gathered the bigots into a small crowd before the stage set at a far wall of their underground base. With some psychic assistance, Proditor had them gather those with dissenting thoughts as well. There weren't many in this crowd with the mental fortitude to hide their bigotry, but what few there were, were also gathered.

The rest of the Arceans watched quietly, as they started to notice the armed guards at each exit of the chamber, keeping anyone who tried to leave from doing so. Proditor approached the edge of the stage, and sneered down at them. "You who cling to your Bigoted ideals…you desire to voice them. What makes you think you are superior to the psychics gathered before you?"

It was bait so obvious only a complete imbecile would fall for it, but that was the caliber of human that Proditor had to work with. The imbecile who stepped forward had a beard that had never seen a razor, which more than covered his neck, and had facial features that suggested his mother had imbibed alcohol while pregnant. His outfit was as rural as the rest of his traitorous peers, with sturdy blue overalls and a plaid shirt underneath that was stretched tight against his fat, doughy gut.

"You psycho-freaks are jus' born inferiur to Pure Bloods liek me! We aint got no vakseenz or guvurnmental expurimentin in these parts. Jus' folk wit' clean blood that don't go Mukkin 'round with Psychic Pokémon."

Proditor's grin widened as he did his best impression of the Cheshire Cat. "Oh hoho…inferior, are we?" He chuckled. "So a Gardevoir is out of the question, but your cousins, aunts, uncles, even brothers or sisters are all fair game in your…Pure Blooded opinion?" Proditor's tone was dripping sarcasm as he side eyed Octavius Thorne, but the former Hand of the Prophet shook his head. Proditor had wanted to simply eradicate the inbred farmers and elevate the worthy psychics among them, but the Fornia appointed Champion had vehemently insisted that the low IQ farmers were still of use, and necessary to defeat the Dragon Empire.

The southern drawl unwisely continued, as he felt emboldened by Proditor's lack of a response. "Yur duhvoshun to that ancient Cult yew want us followin' hasn't done jack against Redwood's empire! An' he's got far more psychic scum followin' him than yew. I bet he's stronger, too."

Thorne subtly facepalmed, as he could guess what would happen next. Even his wildest prediction however, did not compare to reality. Proditor simply raised a hand toward the simpleton. Psychic power surrounded his throat in a tight ring of dark purple energy, and despite his weight problem, the man was lifted into the air with ease. Proditor was still grinning maniacally. "I find your lack of intelligence…disturbing. You will serve me better without that genetically inferior brain getting in the way."

His red glowing eyes turned to the crowd then. "Behold! The creatures that will guarantee our victory over the Original Dragon…and the World." He felt the Shadowmind's eagerness, within himself. If it could salivate, it likely would have in that moment. Normally, a man like Proditor might have hesitated in creating a 'infinitely replicating life form', as his dark passenger called it, from potentially infecting all of humanity, but after fusing with the being on a level that few but the Shadowmind truly comprehended, his inhibitions had been slowly, subtly stripped away.

This…this is the…Spice…that gives this existence its worth…the Flood shall begin anew…and all thanks to you…Cassius Proditor.

A hint of wariness formed in Proditor's mind as his dark passenger mentioned a flood of such creatures, but it was already far too late. Tentacles of Shadow formed from Proditor's arm, making use of a few of his cells as they were taken, transformed, and elevated into something that should not have existed. At least, not in this universe. They penetrated the choking simpleton, and much of the crowd watched in genuine horror as his body was remade into a form that would make far better use of all his extra flesh.

The grotesque abomination before them was massive in size, standing at a height of twelve feet or three point six meters once it stopped writhing. Its shoulders were lopsided, with the larger arm sporting a grotesque but sharp claw of bone, and the smaller one acting as some sort of club. Most disturbing though, was its face. The head had split open forming into tentacles, and where the face should have been was only a void leaking literal darkness.

"Unsightly…to be sure…" Proditor proclaimed to the stunned crowd. "But a warrior that will have no problem against plasma swords. Thus the suppressive and genetically tainted become useful…and obedient." Proditor faced the creature then, and its gaping void face turned towards him. It began lumbering for him, and Proditor sensed its hostile intent.

He summoned his combined power, and spoke again. "Kneel." The creature stopped as the sound reverberated through his being, then, it took another step and fell onto what passed for its knees.

In his skull, Proditor heard the Shadowmind speak. This form…while useful in ages past…can be improved upon. When we are away from their eyes…yes…I will Create.

As the creature knelt and the silence grew, Proditor spoke again. "Those who stand against our cause, will continue to serve us…those who cling to their useless Bigotry will still find a purpose, in our movement. Remember this well…as you return to work."

The crowd began dispersing as they were dismissed, but those who had clung to their skewed hatreds were kept in place and fear dominated their faces and their minds. Once it was just them, Proditor and Thorne and the potential psychics on stage, and the stave armed guards around them, Proditor said, "I know what fears fill your minds. I can hear them. You don't want to become flesh monsters, and I don't blame you. I didn't know what to expect, myself…but it wasn't this." He gestured to the still kneeling monstrosity. "Listen. I understand no matter what I do, or do to you, you will not so easily give up your prejudices. It's not entirely your fault that you have them, and I don't particularly care that you do, but you need to understand me, here and now, for I will Not be repeating myself. Psychics are to be Respected, their orders, listened to. Act like your pompous peer did, and this will be your fate. Nod if you understand me."

The fearful farmers nodded in unison, and while he still didn't care for their subversive thoughts, he waved a hand at them. "Good. Now get back to work." As the more hate-driven Arceans scurried away, Proditor waited until they'd all left the chamber. Then, he spoke to the shadows. "Triad. Monitor them. All of them. Bring those flagrantly defying my edicts to me, and be as discreet as possible. Tell me, if they start forming groups." He knew they would have quite the rebellion on their hands if the disparate factions of unsatisfied workers were given the chance to band together.

"Yes, Successor." Came a masculine voice from the darkness. Then, the three hidden presences were gone. The Shadow Triad personally creeped even Proditor out, but they saw him as some sort of dark messiah, and he had to admit, they were quite effective.

What Octavius Thorne, Bryce Blackwood, and Veronika Caligo, the remaining Hands of the Prophet, had created was essentially an underground city that stretched and connected to the entirety of the Wyogon, Nevouri, and Arciana regions, the same region the triad had ruled over in the Church's name. Upon being forced to accept the reality that Sacreus was going to fall, the so-called Champions of those three border-sharing regions went underground with everyone they had, and over time had used their usual tactics of pressuring people to stay. On the surface, nobody had seemed to yet notice these people going 'missing' and not returning, but the reality was that many of the Arceans who lived in said regions were more than glad to give their flesh and blood to the cause, no matter how many dark truths the Dragon Empire shined a light upon.

He expected their compliance to shift, now, though. With a new figurehead and a very public and grotesque display, transforming one of their own no less, he knew it was a matter of time before a bloodbath attempting to kill him and the upper management of the Cult's remnants ensued. That was what always happened, when power shifted. The trick, was to make sure the right people were dying, and that his people were doing the killing. Once the Arcean remnants were violently purged, he could reforge them into his power base, and they could start making real moves with the accumulated currency his wealthy subordinates had at their disposal. The only thing to do now, was what they'd already been doing, convincing as many people as possible to join Subterra, as the simpletons called it, and try to minimize casualties.

The Shadowmind thundered in his skull, impatiently. I desire…Creation. Assign your minions quickly. That form… will not kneel forever.

Guessing what might happen during said 'creative session', Proditor turned to the still-glowing psychics. Calling them that, was generous. Maybe three of them had the potential he would've sought in his era. Another five might have proven worthy in time, but the rest would be lucky to have enough power to lift a pebble. He briefly regretted letting the Shadowmind burn his bridge with the Scales. They were quickly becoming the largest organization to join, if one had psychic power, and wanted a plasma sword.

"We will begin your training soon. For now, return to your lives and your work as you have been. If you do not already have quarters in Subterra, you will be provided with them, as well as new status, among your peers. What you do with said status, is up to you. Impress me." With that, he vanished into the darkness, and re-emerged in his own private area, even further below Subterra. He was the only one who could reach it, and unless he desired company, nobody would ever find him. He could also bring, or leave, whoever he wanted. The Shadowmind had pulled the abomination along as well, and it now stood before him, 'breathing' and writhing even now, as its cells continued to process their host's biomass, and grow. It had gained at least two feet of height, putting it at fifteen feet tall, up from its original twelve. It was like a walking flesh tank.

"Before you start, wait a moment." Proditor said, to his dark passenger. He withdrew the Burst Heart then, and set it into a simple but very effective and expensive safe that he'd installed into the floor himself. Once it was safely ensconced, he triple deadlocked it, and turned on the security software designed to teleport the Heart somewhere else, if its container was breached, a place only he knew, and could reach. Then, he started separating himself from the Shadowmind. Not de-fusing, but rather, taking what they had become, and splitting it into two equal halves, each occupied by one of their minds. Like cutting apart fleshy playdough, the darkness coalesced into a roiling mass of flesh cells, where a single, malicious cyclopic eye appeared in its center. "In these separate forms, we can achieve more of our goals, simultaneously. I advise against you trying to escape or tinker with my space here. Even you are not aware of all the traps I have in place over my things, and things that ought not to be touched. Do your work. Create. Improve. Evolve. I will gather more psychics for us…right from the source.

He snapped his fingers then, and his psychic power, which wasn't really reduced even when split, remade his image into that of what he considered an aspiring hopeful to the Dragonspiral Tower, and an initiate, acolyte, or even Padawan seeking to become a Scale of Balance. The Shadowmind formed a mouth, and razor sharp teeth sprouted from it as it created the organs it needed for grinning, and speech. "That is…inspired. I like it. I will focus on my task, you need not worry about your little trinkets. I will…try…not to break them."

Satisfied with that, the handsome, square jawed youth with short black spiky hair and a black and white martial arts outfit with a Yin Yang symbol on its back bamfed out of the subterranean chamber, and the Shadowmind faced the Tank Form with glee. "It has been…Ages…since I…We…have…Created. Let us begin…" And though no living being was around to hear the sickening sound of flesh being reworked, it did indeed still fill the chamber, and what little remained of the human who had once been, was utterly destroyed as the Shadowmind, like any creator, reduced the Tank Form to its base components, and began anew.

Author's Note: I'm going to take a page from those who've come before, and try this out from time to time, at the end of the chapter. Unless you're just not paying attention, you know there's a tournament coming up. It wouldn't be much of a World Tournament if only people my brain (and the Pokémon Company) came up with participated, so if you have OCs you want to see in the story, now is the time. Most of the sites I post these on are capable of private messaging, so if you want to, potentially, see your OC, send me their full name, notable personality traits, physical description with as much detail as possible (or a picture, if AI can nail it), their team of up to ten partners, and what you think their general skill level would be in this slice of the Pokéverse, considering all the shit that has gone down. There's a lot of backstory potential, and I admit, I'm kinda excited to see what people come up with. Assuming anyone is interested.

Teams should be kept within reason, but since this Pokéverse favors Trainers (we'll get to Why, later) they can have whatever nature you like, and since moves aren't limited, maybe include who has mastered which moves. And by mastery I mean, they can use strong or weak versions of said moves after using it so many times. One final note, if you want me to potentially use said original character somewhere else, or just want it for the tournament specifically, let me know. Ideally, I'd like to eventually include as many people as possible, within reason of course, but I can say there will be many more Battles to come, and I could always use more Trainers. People we see in the tournament may pop up again in the future, based on who/what they are and how well they do, but in general I will endeavor to use your submissions in the manner you want to see them. And due to the dice rolls I use to decide battle outcomes, you may even find them advancing pretty far.

Sahqoreyth · Jun 15, 2024

Chapter 54: Odyssey of Ascendance, Part 3

The Fornia League HQ - Sacreus City

Jessica Gladstone had been hard at work since leaving Unova in Tao's capable claws. Fornia and the surrounding territories were still a clusterMuk, but they had more Trainers every day. She'd done some traveling of her own thus far, gaining Eiwa, an Alolan Vulpix from the tropical islands in Alola, and a Charcadet, Rouge, a Smoliv, Liva, and a Toxel, Mirkke, from Paldea. While there, she'd also applied to Naranuva Academy for a Tera Orb, and after confirming her status as a Champion and completing a minor task, she'd been approved to handle a modern Tera Orb. Unlike generation one, for whatever reason, the modern orbs didn't need a recharge. Ever.

She'd told the Director and his staff that Alex would be coming through soon as well, which had sent the teachers and student council into a frenzy of preparation. She knew he'd probably intended to quietly enroll and earn his Tera Orb, but she'd all but guaranteed he'd get quite the reception, when he finally arrived. She knew the students would benefit from his presence, but being a U.U. grad, he would have probably ignored them without her intervention. The Blueberry Academy was their main rival, and Naranuva famously had an active exchange program for students who wanted to grow from both Paldea and their Terarium. Unlike B.B.A, Unova University had not yet joined the conglomerate of schools across the planet that actively educated the students as they set out on their respective journeys.

Fornia's own education system was all but nonexistent without the Arcean Church to fund it, but Alex and Tao already had most of their production-focused cities building new schools and universities as well. Knowing Alex, he'd probably kickstart properly unifying every school outside the Imperium just by being at the academy, or something.

Jess intended to do the same as her fiancé, but upon trying to train her Pokémon, she'd found that her partners were not listening, even with their psychic connection. After a week of struggling and only being able to train Lapi, she finally called in Gwen, who was seemingly glad to take a break from her new and sudden position as Queen of Albion.

They were in Sacreus's stadium and had the field to themselves as Jess approached her stubborn grass snake starter and turned to Gwen. "She and the others refuse to move or train, and when they do speak, I'm just not understanding them. Please help." Gwen simply nodded with her serene grace and approached the regal looking Pokémon. They murmured back and forth to each other, as Gwen nodded and seemed to speak in soothing tones.

Then, Amphi came over, murmured, glanced at her Trainer, murmured some more. Then Melodi, Cera, and Maria went over as well. Jess glanced around and saw Delphi snickering at all of them. Gwen looked overwhelmed as everyone started talking at once, and eventually, she Teleported back from them, and moved back to her Trainer, looking quite flustered.

"They umm…they're very eager to…" She struggled to understand and comprehend what she'd been told. "Contest…each other? I don't really understand what they're-" Jess was already moving towards the team. Serpi rose above them, poking up from behind the crowd of chattering Pokémon. Jess looked, and was, irritated, but that was mostly because she hated to see how reliant she'd become on Alex's ability to seamlessly translate what her team was saying. Without him around, she felt like a newbie fresh from the lab.

He'd also helped her set up their psychic mental web, but for reasons she didn't understand, it refused to connect, lately. She tried again to connect to her starter, and this time, she managed to reach her, and the others. Enough to talk at least. "You're all still really set on the World Festival, aren't you." Jess said to them, in the serene garden that was her mind space. They all replied loudly and unanimously with an enthusiastic affirmative.

She sighed and pinched her brow. "But there's more clout and more challenges in the World Tournament. We can see how we stack up against the best Trainers in the world."

Maria 'stepped' forward then and put a thick claw on her comparatively slim Trainer. Nidoqueen had limited psychic abilities, but she had been around the others long enough by now to speak common. In her mind anyway. "We can do both. But you only want to do one. Why?"

Jess glanced down at the 'ground' guiltily. "It's long past time that you newer members learned how I became Kalos Queen. Or had the chance to, anyway." She said, frowning as she recalled the series of events. "The Kalos Queen was Serena at the time, and she was basically unchallenged, after her predecessor retired on her fortunes. This was right after our trip to Norstad, where I got Fo," She reminisced, smiling at the now fully grown Articuno, "Hera, Melodi, Maria, and Cera weren't with me yet. In fact, I'm pretty sure the World Tournament hadn't officially been announced yet." She shook her head. "Anyway. The Pokémon Contest runners in Kalos wanted to raise sales and stakes, so Serena agreed to bet her crown on one tournament sized series of contests. I was in Kalos for that semester's spring break, so I figured we might as well try to compete…"

Jess trailed off as she remembered how hard her main six had tried. They were completely new to performing, but between her and Serpi, they'd performed very well, almost like an experienced performer team. She looked up and realized those six had now crowded her where she was mentally reclining. Serpi just gave her a knowing smile, as her snaking fronds took up much of the mental space, not in a menacing way, but one that was purely decorative, and sometimes even defensive. Combining the power of her mind and her team's had been able to drive off the Original Dragon's attempts to pierce her mental defenses during their training with him and remembering that just highlighted how far she'd drifted from them without realizing it. Chari curled around her and positioned her jaw for optimum scritches while being mindful of her tail flame. Amphi sparked excitedly with electricity running along her wool-free and more draconic body, and Empolia put a steely fin on her shoulder, and nodded. Folokraan was behind them, looking as majestic as ever, and not coming too close to the team, as even in their Trainer's mind space she was quite cold.

Her Bastiodon, Cera, was being leaned on by the powerful armored frame of Maria. Hera had used her bug wings to get herself a perch on Cera's steely frill. For her part, Melodi had their new Buneary and Dreepy cuddled in her cottony wings alongside her newest catches from Alola and Paldea. "We won." Jess finally continued. "Serena was…distracted, or something. I'm not sure why. But we saw an opening, and against Fo, she was almost literally blown away. I don't think she expected me to have an Articuno. Nobody expected me to have an Articuno. That's probably why we won." She looked up affectionately at the frosty bird, who mentally nuzzled her. "After that…things happened so fast…I had a crown, and flowers, and Serena had tears in her eyes, and it was all…way too much. So, I had Fo fly me home and I haven't competed since."

Lapi just stared up at her from her spot in the cotton fluff of Melodi's wings. "You're the Kalos Queen? And you don't want to perform?" She glanced at the others. "You girls were right on this, I acknowledge my wrongness." Jess just frowned. Her rapidly growing bun had been the only one willing to listen to her in battle lately, thus she had gotten the training. And with strength, came arrogance, apparently, as she met her Trainer's gaze. "We need to perform."

"You need to evolve. Many of you do. For a Champion level team, too many of you aren't nearly as strong as the boys. And Alex is only making them stronger by the hour. We need to get back to training." Her gathered Pokémon frowned at her, and Serpi moved away again, ruining her mental relaxation. The others just sighed, and followed, with Maria muttering, "It is like speaking to stone."

"No."

The word reverberated through the mind space, and suddenly, all the girls found themselves right back next to each other, standing in a circle. Delphi was in the middle of them, and she twirled gracefully in the spot, glaring at each of them, before her eyes landed on Serpi's, and she stopped. "Once again, you're being too petty, big sister. She is preparing you to compete. If you want to win against all the world's Performers, you're going to need to be on Alex's level at least. How well we do in this tournament, will be the bar by which we measure our skill in contests. The higher we rank, the better our chances of winning." The Serperior looked down, frowning, as the prophetic fox's words had merit.

Delphi whirled on Jess then, and her fiery tone of mind made it clear she was tired of the B.S. going on with her team. Especially with how much fun she could sense their brothers having without them. "Then, you can prove our win wasn't a fluke, you can validate the effort we put into beating the Kalos Queen, and demonstrate our brilliance to the entire planet."

Jess rolled her eyes. "That was always the plan. Once any of you actually bothered to start training, I was going to see if you still wanted to do it." Her team shared a look. "Now though, I don't know. Given the mutiny I've had to deal with, that Lapi has endured as well, maybe your punishment should be not performing at all." She smirked at the stunned faces around her. "I'm not kidding. We're too far behind already, but it's not too late to catch up. Alex can't possibly train all his new catches at the rate they're going. How about this, if you can manage a win against the Dragon Emperor of Unova, I'll consider competing in this…World Festival."

Serpi seemed to be one of the most concerned with competing or was at least the voice of that faction of the party. "But we have to win Contests too, if we want to reach the top."

Jess nodded. "And we will. If you ladies can demonstrate that you're serious about winning. I…can't face Serena again with less than my best." That, it seemed, got her team more motivated. Compared to Alex's horde of battle hungry boys, their sisters were far more…chill. The entire vibe was different. More harmonious, whereas Alex's team was very focused, on being the best.

Finally, Serpi and the others affirmed their willingness to train, so long as that meant good food and lots of rest, too. Thus, now once more in command of her team, Jess set off into the long routes covering Fornia, that would eventually take her via the northern Stoney Mountain pass to the heartland of the Empire. Having battles with the locals would demonstrate two things: that the Emperor, and by extension his chosen Empress, were very much around, and could be at a moment's notice thanks to their not-so-secret psychic powers. It would also demonstrate that their skill and power was not to be trifled with. Tao claimed entire wars had been avoided just by having his Emperor of the age engage the locals in friendly battles. As the stories went, one Emperor took that way, way too far, and started beheading anyone with the skill to beat him, which had been pretty much anyone. After that, Tao had been much more withdrawn from the Empire's history, until he was split in two.

Jess planned to ensure that as many people as possible understood how strong she and her team were. Then, when Alex inevitably outranked her, they'd understand that the hated Dragon Emperor was even more powerful than her. She didn't expect to match him this time, as the size of their teams was quite different, but next time the tournament came around, she intended to match and ideally surpass the boys. For now, meeting them in at least the Semi Finals would be enough.

Northern Province, Area 2 - Paldea Region

The Ordo Ultoris, as they now called themselves, had only one singular goal that would occupy what remained of their time on the Earth. Assassinate the Dragon Emperor. They considered this their last and final holy order from the Prophet of Arceus himself, as it was the last mission he'd given their death squad before he'd been beheaded. Like most surviving Arceans, they had heard rumors of Subterra. Unlike most, they didn't care. Their unit was composed of the men who had carried out Caleb Pravus' dirty work, which ultimately made them killers. Very experienced killers.

Thanks to the Dragon Empire, thousands of Arceans had learned, upon being freed of the Church's control over their lives and free time, that their family members were missing, and assumed dead. There were records of many people crossing the Prophet, which the Dragon Empire had made publicly available to see. It was hard to call something untrue when it was easily accessed and verifiable, and even the staunchest believer that was missing a friend or lover or relative had to bend to reality when they saw their connection's name on the list of people that had presumably been murdered by the Arcean Prophet. The Dragon Empire was very up front about the reality of the names on their lists, and Caleb Pravus wasn't the only one with such a list. There had been files on who was abusing children, and who had been abused, as well. Most had been gathered without the abuser's knowledge, but those lists, public as they were, had already inspired crimes of intense violence, as parents learned who had done what to which kids.

Unlike Crusaders, their squad's weapons were old school. Powerful single shot and silenced rifles, each custom modded by the man who wielded them. They had melee weapons as well, but their rifles were by far their deadliest weapon, or so they believed, a gift from the old Earth and the civilizations that had come before. After the unchecked bloodbath that erupted in the wake of the world's governments collapsing, such firearms were universally banned in the Americas, and pretty much every civilized country. Only the Imperium still used them now and only their Thunder Warriors had easy access to them, but the criminal element had adapted, as Pokémon were far more powerful than bullet projectiles. Without the order society brought, strength had determined who ruled, and with the arrival of Pokémon on the planet, strength became measured by who could train the strongest Pokémon.

The Ordo Ultoris did not have many Pokémon though, as the Prophet had seen them as a hindrance to their duties. One did not have to feed and care for a rifle on a mission that required stealth, so rifles they had been given, with only one card to play, Pokémon wise, if the Muk hit the Fan Rotom. Using the long-range night vision scopes on said rifles had allowed them to track the Dragon Emperor as he flitted about Kalos, and while they'd lost him in the mountains between Kalos and Paldea, there was only one place those taking that route came out, and sure enough, after a few days their quarry appeared.

That night, Julius, their leader, a physically shredded mountain of a man with pale skin, dark eyes, and dark hair gathered them around their strategically hidden campfire within the wilderness of northern Paldea. Though it was winter, mere days away from Festivus Eve in fact, this area remained rather humid, almost tropical even. The rest of Paldea was covered in snow, save where the landscape shifted to desert or arid areas. Those places got just as cold, but moisture was rare around them.

"From the bug we planted on their gear, we've learned the Abomination plans to train in the wilderness, near Fury Falls. While the low valley of the landscape gives us the advantage, his psychic perception and the heavy bamboo foliage, not to mention his Pokémon, will likely help him evade our bullets. Luckily, Jason found us an…alternative route, using some new allies who have cause to dislike the powers that be, especially, the Dragon Empire, as much as we do. They believe helping take down Redwood will increase their fame. T. The band of Pokémon Hunters known as the Shadow Snatchers will be joining us. They've worked with our Church before, apparently, and are eager to do so again. They will draw out and weaken his Pokémon once the other three depart, and once he and his team are exhausted from Battle, we'll take his head."

The group of muscled men seemed to nod and grin darkly, but one, a thinner but no less deadly member of their group, Shinji, had reservations. He was an older Japanese man, and in fact was the one who'd recruited them when Caleb Pravus first decided he needed a covert murder squad. Of all the members, he was the one they all knew the least about, and Shinji kept it that way on purpose. "He's the Champion of the Victory League, Julius. He's in the Ultra Class, rising through it like a meteor with an unbroken win streak that only a few other names, Legendary names, can claim to match. You could throw a hundred Hunters at him, all at once. It wouldn't be enough. Our best Crusaders… were not enough. And he's only grown stronger and expanded that team since the war ended. We don't even know what his current roster is, in its entirety."

Julius glared at the bespectacled sniper. "I'm hearing a lot of complaints, and not a lot of solutions, Shinji. Are you trying to piss me off?"

Shinji pushed up his glasses, as they caught the winter moon. Festivus was looking like it was going to host a full moon this year, as it was still waxing. "No, Julius. I'm trying to keep us from getting bisected by a Sword Rotom. Or worse. Captured alive. Pokémon Hunters are a good idea, but we're going to need real professionals, alongside these…Shadow Snatchers. Lucky for us…my Boss just returned to Italia. He's close enough to give us some aid."

Julius grimaced. "You haven't spoken with your so-called Boss for a while now. Why do you think he'll aid you still?"

Shinji just smirked darkly. "Because when Caleb Pravus told me to cut ties with my organization, I lied, and ignored him. The only order I've ever disobeyed. Team Rocket talks big with their aspirations…but all they ever had me do was monitor the Arceans. In return for that, Giovanni will help us. He can't be pleased that the Dragon Empire is expanding its influence across half the planet. He'll jump at the chance to take down a rival that strong, when all it will cost is a few Pokémon Hunters."

Julius's forehead vein was bulging slightly with anger as the arrogant Eousian man all but admitted to being a traitor but killing him now would only weaken them. They would need his skills, and his Pokémon, one of the few their squad had on hand, if they were going to take Redwood out. "Fine. I'll…overlook your betrayal, because you're right. But we will be discussing this…surveillance of yours, later…"

Shinji smirked at him. "I'm loyal to your cause, fret not. Team Rocket is nothing but a bunch of weak imbeciles, but they're imbeciles with resources we can use. Nothing I told them was of any real worth."

Julius waved a hand. "Whatever. Just contact your Boss and get us some people. Tomorrow, we'll need to make sure the area is clear of civilians and Academy students. Jason, make sure we don't have any Champion ranks wandering in, either. The last thing we need is El Primero showing up."

Jason just nodded his blonde head as his blue eyes glinted in the darkness. "On it, Boss. One Champion tier distraction, coming up."

As he left to go set that up, the other men retired for the night, prepping their weapons, consolidating their ammo. Julius took what Ultra Balls they had on hand and used his superior stealth skills to catch some of the high-level Pokémon that lived in this area. They were strong, and those he caught had a downright foul temper about being captured so easily without so much as a battle. Once he'd gathered as much of an edge as he felt he could, he returned to their camp and retired as well.

The Red Fort - Indius Region

Sikandar Jiyoshi woke from his post-coital nap before his lover, as he sensed his Phone Rotom pinging. He pulled on his absurdly comfortable pants, and checked his messages, grinning in the gloom of the morning light. Without thinking of time zones, he called one of his newest and admittedly impressive friends, Emperor Redwood. He didn't expect an answer, as he saw what time it was on Alex's end, but to his surprise, the Champion and world leader was awake at four in the morning. In the background, Sikandar spied an epic anime confrontation, and nodded to himself. Naruto was a classic, after all, and that particular episode Alex seemed to be on was fantastic. "Ahh, Champion Sikandar. Good morning." Alex said, smirking in the dim light of his end of the call.

"Sorry to interrupt that fight in particular." Sikandar answered, also smirking. "That battle in the Valley of the End has some fantastic animation. Alas, I have some news you'll be interested in."

"Oh I agree, it is pretty epic. But by all means, tell me how our little plan is going." Alex said, seemingly as chill and unbothered by the interruption as Sikandar expected of the man.

"The Kingdoms have agreed to a ceasefire, and since the Imperium has also stopped, the war is officially paused…again. For the immediate future, there will be no further violent incursions into Eousian territory. The other Kingdoms are skeptical about how long it will last, but after hearing that you were the one who got the Imperator to cease hostility, they endeavored to make good on your altruism. Between that, and the good word I've put in with them, you've made a few friends here in Eous."

Alex's smirk widened as he took in the news, and patted one of his Pokémon, a Lycanroc by the look of him, who was pawing at the man's arm. Evidently, Alex had ceased the belly rubs, and that, was unacceptable to the stone wolf. "Excellent. I owe you for this, Sikandar. Looks like this Festivus will be one we can all celebrate in peace."

Sikandar shook his shaggy head. "No, this one is all you, Alex. Only a few people in Eousian history have been able to make the Imperator pause his war on our northern borders. But you made his Thunder Warrior Legions stand down on all fronts. As thanks, I have a friend I'd like to transfer over to you. I'm sure you've heard the hype around the Incineroar we have here in Eous?"

Alex's eyes widened. He had not been expecting a reward, let alone a new partner. "I do…but that's really not necessary…" It wasn't that he didn't want a powerful flaming tiger, he just already had enough people to train. His team however, was more than eager to bring on a burning cat to their roster.

"Nonsense." Sikandar said. "He's a powerful Litten from a line of ferocious Eousian Incineroar. He'll serve you well, in the World Tournament, I'm sure. Once he's trained up a bit. This is really the least we can do. The Queen of Sekunga insisted I send you this gift, as now you've helped return their Kingdom's Sacred Stone via your Scales, and stopped the near-eternal war on her border personally. Needless to say, she's a big fan. She also asked me to invite you to visit the Kingdoms, when you have time."

Alex just looked surprised, but then smiled genuinely. "Tell her Highness that I'm honored, and I'll make sure her Litten becomes well trained." He chuckled. "My Fire Types are very excited for an Incineroar to bolster their firepower. Send him over when you can, and thank you again, Sikandar. You have just as much of a role in this as I do."

Sikandar smirked. "I do. Which is why I was given a Litten as well. If we end up facing each other in the Tournament, we should have them test their skills in Battle."

Alex nodded. "Assuming he's ready in time…absolutely. I look forward to it."

The two Champions said their farewells, and shortly after, Sikandar sent over the Litten in question. By this point, his entire team was awake, as were the majority of his traveling companion's partners. Thus, the Eousian fire cat emerged from his Luxury Ball to a small horde of eager, curious, staring eyes. He gave them all a friendly meow, as they took him in. He had the same black and red coloration as a standard litten, but in terms of body size and mass…it was like comparing a tiger cub and a house cat. There was no question as to the shared ancestry of the line, but the Eousian breed was very clearly made of something altogether different than the Incineroar popularized by the Battle Royal style of competition. Judging by the small, but fluffy mane of fur around his neck, his family lineage had intermingled with a male Pyroar at some point.

Alex figured there was probably something in or about Eous, or Sekunga in general, that made the fire cats naturally thicker and more muscled than their island-dwelling counterparts in Alola and Japan. He stepped forward as the smirking fire cub's large eyes rolled over the horde of species before him. He eyed Noir, Espeo, and Leo as they stepped forward beside their Trainer, looking confident as always, and then the young predator's eyes met his. "Hello there." Alex said, eliciting a series of smirks from his team. "Welcome to the team. I'm your new Trainer. Alex Redwood."

The fiery tiger cub nodded and answered him. "The Dragon Emperor. You do speak as we do…fascinating." He briefly scanned the crowd of Pokémon again, before looking at his Trainer. "I wish to be as strong as these are. I wish to evolve."

Alex smirked at the cub. "On this team, we aim to be the Best." He felt the fire for battle burn to life in his eyes. "Do you wish to be the strongest, perhaps in the entire world? Because those are the heights we're aiming for. World Champion status."

The young Litten looked down, as he tried to comprehend it. He had always known, thanks to his mother, that he would become strong. He'd seen his father, and other males of the line he came from. His mother and grandmother hadn't been small either. In fact, they'd been quite a bit bigger than the males. They had each been the best, as this Trainer would call it, the best in their era. The best in their kingdom. But the entire world? He looked to his left, out over the foreign landscape of a region he didn't know the name of, under a slightly different set of stars in the sky. The world was massive. He understood there were probably many such places he had never seen. And this human wanted him to be considered the strongest, in all of them.

He smirked, revealing sharp, long canine fangs. "I do. If you can make me strong enough to get there, I will climb to that height with you."

Alex held out a hand, and the young cub offered his thick paw. Despite being young, his claws were quite sharp, yet his fur was so soft. His heart lurched as he heard Romulus whimper, knowing his spot lying on his Trainer was at risk, but Alex resolved to always give him belly rubs. They just might need to stop lasting all night. Not for the first time, he wished there was more of him to go around, and he felt Leo suddenly stare into his very essence, as he had that thought. He put it to the side for the moment, though.

"You need a name, don't you, my new friend. Let's see…" He eyed the Litten again, and since he'd thus far in his life only gone by 'Litten' or cute pet names his maids had given him, he was ready for a real moniker. As usual, Alex's mind went to movies, or classic forms of entertainment, as he tried to recall a suitable name for a tiger. "How about…Khan?" He asked, splitting the name he'd landed on in half, and finding its historical meaning suited for the young cub's bearing.

The young Litten rolled the name around in his skull, and then nodded, as his lips pulled into a smirk. "I like it."

Alex nodded; aware Leo was still staring at him. "Well Khan, breakfast is in a few hours, and after that, we'll be moving on to some training in the grove below. Once we finish there though, I think I'll make my way to Mesagoza with you." Strength wise, he would probably be fine against Paldean Trainers, though there was always a chance they had improved in the time since he'd compared their region-wide Trainer stats to others like Galar and Unova.

Finally, once Khan trotted off with the other fire types, Blaze at their head. Alex turned to Leo. "What?"

Leo just smirked at him. "Think, oh wise psychic Trainer of mine. How might you be in two places at once? What skill or Move could accomplish that…"

"Shadow Clones." Alex said, but then frowned. "But the Normal Type version requires speed I don't have, and I'm not the best at wielding Dark Type energy."

Leo snarled at him. "You wield Light often enough, and without issue. You understand the Jutsu thanks to your binging. At long last, the time has come. If you want to realistically train all of us for the World Tournament's finals, you'll need to learn this. Ask Tao. I'm right. Even Olympia told you to train harder than you are currently."

Alex just smirked as his eyes shifted from the all-seeing gaze of his Luxray, to the ground before him. He had, of course, considered the option after all the anime lately, particularly after the training methods protag boi had used to increase his Ninjutsu skills, and now that he recalled it, Leo had given him the stare back then, too. It seemed like this was something his thunder cat had been subtly guiding him towards for a while now.

Finally, he relented, as he sensed Tao ready to weigh in. For this however, he did not need the dragon's guidance. He needed Leo's, the member of his team who had long since mastered Double Team, or Shadow Clones, as he called it. It seemed the difference was in the type of energy one used to make said clones. "Is the principle the same as in the anime? Even distribution of energy?"

Leo smirked at him. "Where do you think I learned to use Dark Energy for them?"

"Alright then…" Alex said, shaking his hands, somewhat nervous, as he sensed his team watching him intently. He was slowly realizing; this was something they had all been trying to push him towards. He activated his Dread Plate, embedded as it was into his armor, and then raised his four pointer and middle fingers in a cross before his chest.

Several blobs of vaguely humanoid dark energy slooowly pulled away from his tall frame, but then they vanished, as they drew way, way too much power. More than he, being psychic, could handle summoning from the Dread Plate. Infusing them with a passable copy of his sentience was impossible, as the energy's natural immunity to psychic power kept him from doing what Leo had.

He tried using less energy, changing the form of it, or just having it copy him in appearance, but alas, all his attempts met with failure, and by the time he was ready to accept that failure, the sun had risen, as had his companions. He waterbended the sweat away from his skin and out of his clothes, and joined them, figuring if anyone could make clones of themself, it'd be Connor.

"Shadows Clones, eh?" The Kalos Champion said, as Alex explained his dilemma over breakfast. He had long since watched Naruto, and for him his binge had been several years ago now. "I think your Luxray may be asking you to bite off more than you can chew. Even with a Plate, the amount of energy cloning a whole Human would take…" Leo yowled, loudly protesting his words, and Connor smirked at him. "Pokémon are not Humans. What works for you will not necessarily work for us."

Then, the usually silent Gren, who was munching quietly beside the equally silent Kage, spoke. "Perhaps it is the type of energy, Dragon Emperor." His words drew the eyes of all four humans, and Alex translated the rest of what he said for them with a gentle psychic link. "Leo uses Dark Type energy because he, like me, wields it naturally. He is a hunter of the darkness, and I myself am of the darkness. But you…are Psychic. And Dragon. Perhaps you would have better luck, with those types."

Connor just nodded in approval at Gren. "I think he's on to something, Alex. If this can be done…you could be anywhere you needed to. Training, officiating ceremonies, with my sister, with your apprentice, all at once."

Gren spoke again, then. "I should note that, in reality, my own clones fade when they travel too far from me. The distance is a few miles…though perhaps with mastery, you could further that distance."

Alex stood, shoving the last of his omelet and hash browns into his mouth, before swallowing. His eyes were on fire. "Dragon Energy is…chaotic, by nature, so I'll try it with Psychic Type energy first. Thank you, Gren…if this works…I will owe you. Whatever you desire, should it be in my power to give, you can have."

The ninja frog silently pondered that offer in its entirety, while Alex used his long stride to step away from them, lest the psychic energy become unstable and explode, or something. He took a deep breath and centered himself. He attuned to the air around him and used one of Meelo's airbender techniques to calm and enhance his mind with the surplus of oxygen to his brain, much like how Pokémon did via use of moves. He closed his right fist, and put it against his open left palm, and with a flash of psychic purple energy from the Mind Plate in his belt, he felt his consciousness split. When he opened his eyes, he saw through all four at once. "This is…disorienting." Both he and his doppelganger said in perfect synchronicity. "Hmm…wait, what if…"

More clones psychically shifted from Alex as he spent relatively little energy on copying and then manifesting a somewhat tangible clone of himself. The real one stayed in his spot, meditating with his eyes closed, while the other ten versions of himself moved towards the picnic table of wide-eyed humans and Pokémon. He focused on one of the clones, and made it speak, or rather, he spoke the words in what he dubbed his 'main mind' and transferred them through the 'clone mind' he desired. "It's a little confusing at first…but as long as my main self stays unoccupied, it seems I can split myself as many times as I need."

Connor glanced at all of the smirking bearded visages of his friend. "And you're not…going to end up violently turning on each other, right?"

Alex chuckled, recalling the Naruto episode that he surmised was the source of his friend's worry. All the clones chuckled with him. "No." Only one said. "These are more like…psychic puppets, than true sentient Shadow Clones. I'm in direct control of everything they do. It's still me, acting and speaking, the only difference is I'm using a psychic mouthpiece to produce the words. I could certainly make them seem sentient…"

The smirks on all the clones widened then, and they locked eyes with each other, before making a show of uniquely turning their hats around, or down over their eyes. Five pairs squared off then, and as one they said, "Time to Battle!" His team looked ready to experience that, but Connor held up a hand.

"No, it's time to descend. Though I'm sure this new trick will make you even more overpowered, you'll be able to train up everyone's stats at once, like this. First things first though…everyone who's participating, who needs their natural Attack Power boosted, come and get some Mochi."

Alex rejoined them, after recalling his clones. He arched a brow at Connor. "Mochi? Isn't that…some sort of Japanese dessert?"

"Technically yes. But this particular kind resets a Pokémon's…level of effort. Freeing you all up to raise your Attack Power to its maximum." Connor said, as he started handing out the white confections of dough with berries kneaded into it. It wasn't a super complicated recipe; one just needed the right berries.

They were devoured in seconds, and Connor smirked proudly at the happy nomming noises from those doing the consuming. Then, they recalled everyone, and set on their way. Marinette and Adrien took a well-earned break from constant battling and took a flying taxi from their campsite to wherever they wanted to go. Adrien seemed determined to see all the famous sights in Paldea, leaving Alex and Connor to focus on training. As they landed before the steaming Fury Falls, Connor handed him a Pokéball. "Blast has learned all he can from us. He did well in Kalos. Once he grinds his Attack Power up here, he should be ready to evolve."

Alex took the ball with a smirk, glad to have him back. "And you're sure you don't want Kage back?"

Connor chuckled. "It seems your drive to be a World Champion has filled his head, and I don't think he believes my team will be able to climb to that height. Honestly…now that I've been the Kalos Champion for a while…I'm not sure I even want to."

Alex blinked at his longtime rival, and friend. He'd wanted to 'be the strongest' since they were kids. "You're sure? You'd just…give up on training?"

Connor looked down for a long moment, then smirked. "You wish…but I know I'm not World Champion material. Sure, if I trained as hard as you and had half your stubborn determination I might make a good show of it, but…I don't think that's what I want. I don't think it's what Gren wants, either. The World Champion needs to love Battling, and to be someone the entire Trainer world can look up to. If it's you or Ash or Leon, I'm okay with that. You're all…pretty much cut from the same cloth."

Alex blinked again. "Wait, you met Leon!?"

Connor just chuckled and nodded. "After my match at Wyndon Stadium. I recognize the…bearing he had. How easily he bonds with Pokémon. Seemingly any Pokémon. Ketchum has it as well, if the legends are true. And you…" He looked at his rival turned soon to be brother-in-law. "You're the only one that my father's Arcanine likes belly rubs from. Besides my mother and father, of course. Not even Jess can get him to roll over. And it's not just him. I've noticed it since we were kids…but you don't seem to. You're just good with them."

"I just used what my Gruncle taught me." Alex said, waving away Connor's words. "You could do what I do. Anyone could. All you have to do is make your feelings obvious and true. Perhaps your…Ninja training has hampered you from doing that. My bond with Arthur probably made it easier, in my case, given what Ralts and its line use to communicate."

"Perhaps." Connor said, shaking his head. "In any case…I'd rather work with strong people, like the Scales, to maintain order in the world. So that our people can thrive in peace. I don't need a fancy robe to do that…but I'm not just dropping out, either. I want to see how we stack up against the best Trainers in the world. At least once."

Alex nodded. "In that case, we'd better get to training." He recalled all of his teammates except Po. "You're with me, young Po." He said in his epic voice, smirking as the cub's eyes went wide and shiny. "Leap with me!" He said, before sprinting for the edge of the absurdly large cliff that separated northern Paldea from Kalos. Those leaving Paldea, without a flying Pokémon, would have an easier time surfing or sailing to Kalos. But those coming down from Kalos either called a Skarmory Taxi or had their own Pokémon to fly down on. But every so often, there was a lunatic who just jumped.

Po followed behind him, and Alex adjusted his rate of descent as the land of Paldea rapidly grew before them. Po shouted something with an expression of pure joy on his furry face, and Alex smirked, mirroring his epic pose. Once they came within two hundred feet of the ground, his aura surrounded them, killing their inertia, and safely bringing them down into the bamboo forest teeming with powerful wild Pokémon.

A Short Time Later…

"You have got to be Mukking kidding me…" Shinji murmured to the rest of the squad over their earpieces, as he took in the sight below him, confirming what the others saw. The sky was starting to turn orange as the sun began to set, and for several hours now, both the Victory and Kalos League Champions had been hard at work training their teams. In that time, Giovanni's Pokémon Hunters had arrived to supplement the Shadow Snatchers, they'd come up with a plan, and the Champion tier distraction had been set up. Foot traffic that usually frequented this area of Paldea was redirected with the help of a Metagross one of the Rocket Executives that had accompanied their hunters had in his possession.

The problem arose, when they were finally in position, and all positions suddenly called out eyes on the target. After brief confusion, they were left with only one logical explanation: the Dragon Emperor had somehow cloned himself, and now each of his powerful Pokémon had a copy of their Trainer accompanying them as they moved through the grove taking down Bisharp and Scyther in mass quantities.

"The distraction is set, but eventually, one of the Champion ranks is going to fly over here and notice something's off." Jason said over the comm. "Figure out which one is the real one, and strike. The longer we wait, the better chance we have of getting caught."

Shinji swore colorfully again, as he cycled through targets with his long-range recon rifle. "It's useless, they're all very believable copies. When the Muk did he even learn this!? Argh…" He resolved to waiting, as he cycled through the potential targets. Thankfully, there was no shortage of cliffs and high vantage points to strike from. "Blend in, for now. Have the Rockets don their commoner disguises. They can go around catching Pokémon while we wait for the real one to appear. There has to be some drawback or limitation on this power, and it has to be a recent one. If we wait long enough, we'll find the real one's location. Until then…we hold."

Shinji focused then on his best guess at the real Redwood, the one working alongside the chubby Kubfu beside him. The only notable difference his sharp sniper eyes saw was that this particular clone had his eyes closed rather often, while the Kubfu in question Brick Breaked his way to a higher level and higher attack power. The Lucky Egg nestled in his fur was likely doing wonders for his experience gain, and when one factored in that it was all shared, from every KO his team scored, it was clear what Redwood's goal was.

Then, as often happens, the situation changed. The chubby Kubfu and his Trainer were suddenly surrounded by a horde of Pawniard, Bisharp, and leading them from behind, was a massive Kingambit. His blades were scarred from thousands of battles, and also looked to have been broken multiple times, probably by his species natural predator in this region, the mighty Tinkaton. Alex didn't think lesser of him for that, though. Losses taught just as much as victories.

Po fell into a Dragon Style stance as he was surrounded, and as his epic voice rang out, Alex smirked. "Finally…enough goons to properly raise my Attack Power to its Ultimate height! Know that you face Po…master of the Dragon Style…fo' sho'!"

Alex chuckled as his kung fu cub rhymed. It was hard processing almost forty visual inputs and battles simultaneously, but his brain was adapting, mostly by having his clones record what they saw for later processing. Luckily for his partners there wasn't too much of a delay in their commands. As the Kingambit traded standard battle bragging with Po, he heard Leo talking to him. The thunder cat's unmatched eyes had started scanning the area, when his own attack power reached its absolute peak. After eating the mochi, his stats were weaker overall, but now all they had to do was increase his speed, and once the special attackers had gone through similar training in Paldea's iconic Casseroya Lake, they were all going to be honing their speed. Arthur had already done this with his own stats during their trip around Unova, mostly through vitamins and facing opponents with a high attack power. Now, the rest of the A team's physical attackers were reaching comparable numbers in terms of attack strength. In the midst of his pondering, Leo's naturally high perception had noticed what he now relayed to his Trainer.

"There are strange Humans with a foul smell about them all around the valley, and they're holding strange devices…"

Alex opened his eyes through Leo's clone, and grimaced. "Snipers." He murmured. That was a word Leo knew. He looked through his Luxray's unmatched eyes and gave them their orders. "Leo. You and Shruikan will coordinate and take them out. Leave…that one by the falls with the glasses for me. He's probably the leader. Shruikan will provide aerial support once they're down."

He turned back to the situation with the Kingambit, and advised Po to challenge him one on one, in honorable combat. The mighty maned sword master of a Pokémon strode forward slowly towards Po, each of his many blades bobbing slightly as he moved. "Many of my kin have you defeated this day, warrior." He closed his eyes, inhaled, and Alex felt an all too familiar chill run up his spine as his encyclopedic knowledge of Pokémon reminded him of the somewhat notorious ability that Kingambit sometimes possessed. The supreme overlord of the bamboo forest's Pawniard line opened his eyes, and they burned with a steel-colored aura. He wasn't quite strong enough to manifest it around his body, though.

"Brick Break, but block his attack. You've got this, Po!" The Alex with him ordered, and the thicc Kubfu nodded confidently. His attack power was all but at its peak. His level was higher than average. His fat had turned into hardened but still somewhat naturally flabby bear muscle, and he knew a plethora of moves thanks to his Trainer's Champion tier store of TMs. He knew, and more importantly believed, that he was as strong as he could be. Without evolving, anyway.

The Kowtow Cleave skirled along the Kubfu's fighting energy encased fists, and then with a downright graceful spin, the young cub swirled past the overlord's guard, right to his head with a Brick Break. The quadruple weakness took effect, and Po masterfully followed that stunning blow with a Low Kick. Once on his back, he swiftly delivered another Brick Break, and while the Kingambit struck with its blades, sinking those by his midsection into Po, the third quadruple effective hit finally caused it to faint. A stunned silence permeated the Bisharp and Pawniard around them, and then Alex moved suddenly, hurling a ball at the blue metallic head he'd picked out among the red. He gathered the item his new blue boi would one day need from the defeated Kingambit, and nodded confidently at Po as he grew even stronger and flexed.

While Po leveled up, word spread to the rest of the team, and Connor as well. Canis coordinated with Leo and Shruikan. Gren also joined in, and within ten minutes of noticing them, the two Champions were ready to strike the snipers who had encircled them. They still acted normally, though. Leo challenged other males of his species near where his targets were hidden. Canis sipped from the burning Fury Falls, eyes alight as their power entered him, and he felt his desire for a hot beverage quenched. His aura was burning, heightened, and still acting naturally, he directed that power into a series of practice Dragon Style strikes, not uncommon behavior for a fighting type.

From his perch, Shinji furrowed his brow, and then saw one of the young Pokémon, the newly evolved Seadra who was dominating the top and bottom and middle of the Fury Falls, glaring right at him, barbs flared. His eyes widened. "All posts…sound off." Silence crackled ominously over his earpiece, followed by several booms of thunder. "Muk! All Hunters, move in! They're onto us, move in now!"

"Pokémon Hunters? Really?" Came a baritone from above and behind Shinji. He recognized the voice and swore again. Psychic powers really were just absurdly unfair. A psychic donut no doubt capable of shrinking surrounded Shinji's neck with an ominous hum of power. "Hands up and move away from your rifle. Or you'll regret it."

Shinji briefly contemplated resisting, but then he sighed, understanding they were caught. Opting to wait had given Redwood or his team enough time to notice them. That wasn't stopping the Pokémon Hunters though. Two black old-world style open roofed jeeps entered the valley from both its northwestern and southern entrances, with Pokémon Hunters bearing Team Rocket's logo hanging out of them. Alex recalled everyone but those he needed for his plan and then his psychic clones vanished after bamfing their balls back to Alex prime.

"Alright." Said the Alex standing over Shinji. "Start talking. Who are you taking this job for?"

"You don't even know who's targeting you…" Shinji cackled, and then found himself choking, his cackle turning to a pitiful gagging noise.

"I only have so many enemies…and I'm sure just being a world leader gains me more all the time. Last time I'm asking nicely…" He said, loosening the psychic choke hold. "Who. Sent. You?"

"Arceus's Prophet on Earth…his last command was to take you out…futile though that may be." Alex just sighed, almost disappointed at Shinji's words. "What, tired of facing the people whose culture you've destroyed?"

Alex looked the man in the eye, and then broke into a proper laugh. "Destroyed your…by the Light…I almost feel as though I should destroy your culture. It causes me Nothing but problems and you people are Still trying to kill me. Because ruining my childhood and invading the eastern States wasn't enough, I suppose." Shinji tried to respond but found himself choking again. Not incapable of breathing but talking was quite difficult. "Watch and learn, Assassin."

By now the jeeps had deposited their Rockets with the Shadow Snatchers at their head. Alex and Connor's Pokémon had gathered in the low center of the valley. "Like Magikarp…in a barrel…" The bespectacled man wheezed. Alex just chuckled.

As the hunters fired at the grouped Pokémon with shoulder mounted rocket propelled nets, the earth rumbled, and Terra appeared in the middle of the group of Pokémon from beneath the earth, towering over most of them. A swarm of Razor Leaves tore apart the nets as Terra flawlessly protected his brothers. Then, from Hydrus and Gelauros who also bended their way out of the underground of the area came a pair of Ice Beams that froze the Pokémon Hunters in place on both sides, most of whom had been in mid throw.

One of the more competent hunters threw a Pokéball quick enough, a Dark Ball judging by the tolling bell sound that accompanied its opening and brought out a Tyranitar. They were a favorite choice among hunters for their temperament and their power. Seeing it pop free, Hydrus froze its Trainer, and then leaped at it with a brutal Ice Punch to the face. To its credit the Tyranitar survived the blow, but a second strike with Hydrus's other fist finished it. Just beyond the frozen Trainer behind the mountain tyrant, Cenomons came charging out of a stand of bamboo, and smashed the retreating jeep hard enough to send it spinning in the air three times, before it landed on its wheels. The driver hurled, tried to run from the totaled jeep, but found the sharp horns of Cenomons stopping him. A low rumbling growl from the titanic metal triceratops dissuaded him from running.

On the opposite end of the valley, Blaze was in his Mega Form, swooping down on the driver and his one remaining passenger. The driver saw Blaze, swore, and then threw a Dark Ball towards Blaze. Another ominous toll heralded the arrival of a Shadow Zapdos radiating an aura of darkness as it appeared, surprising everyone with its loud shriek. Lightning flashed through the sky, and dark clouds formed rapidly above the enraged thunderbird.

From the clouds came a black scaled blur with a distinctive hum, and a focused, condensed energy ball of dragon energy instead of plasma slammed into the Shadow Zapdos, ruining its flight pattern. Blaze roared in fury not at his opponent, but at his brother, which only made Shruikan smirk at him as he arced back up into the storm clouds. Blaze had wanted to test his strength solo, but Shruikan had no intention of letting him.

In his Y strand form this time, Blaze darted in with Dragon Claw, unafraid of the powerful electric counterattack that was sure to follow. Luckily for the prideful Charizard, he was actually strong enough to send the Zapdos spinning with one Dragon Claw, and then another. Their difference in level mattered in terms of damage, but a Legendary Bird would not simply faint so easily, no matter what heights Blaze had reached.

A psychic purple flash came from its fierce eyes as the Legend halted its momentum, and then in the same movement, launched a Thunder at Blaze. He was already prepared with a mighty Thunder Punch, but the damage from the canceled attacks still hurt a bit. Alex psychically told him to Dragon Dance, and as he started, he spun out of the way of a Shadow-fueled Fury Attack, at which point the usual follow up to his Dragon Dance came from his Trainer. The Dragon Claws struck with the speed of a flying type, and as Blaze came around for another pass, a line of condensed rapid fire Dragon Pulses hammered the Zapdos, rapidly exploding one after the other against its chest, sending it hurtling towards the ground in an explosion of dirt and stone.

Shruikan roared his victory as thunder boomed in response to his cry, and Blaze turned on him, fury in his eyes. Instead, mentally through their connection, he informed his brother that they would be settling this with a match, very soon. Shruikan responded with draconic superiority and smugness, leaving their Trainer to sigh.

As the remaining jeep fled, its steel shell fell to a rapid and rather powerful Aura Sphere from Canis, hammering the engine, and sending the occupants flying, as they were burned by the explosion. The aura hound swiftly bound them with ivy from the forest, and then spared some Life Dew so they didn't expire. Alex wanted them alive, and Canis's tail wagged as he got his Trainer's mental approval for skillfully apprehending the criminals and preserving them for justice.

In short order, a clone of Alex had successfully channeled the Light into the Zapdos, and with a Max Revive, the somewhat chastened Legendary Bird gave its thanks to Blaze and Shruikan. Being enthusiasts of electric attacks, the two had a fruitful conversation with the mighty thunderbird, and by the time he eventually departed, they'd become fast friends, with the promise to battle again someday. The bird was quite motivated to get stronger, after seeing what human Champions could turn their partners into.

Alex and Connor rounded up and partially thawed the Pokémon Hunters before they ran out of air, while Shinji was made to hang before them uncomfortably by his neck, though not enough to accidentally hang him to death. He still dangled painfully and humiliatingly before his squad. Julius was badly burned, though still alive thanks to the Lucario. Within an hour, Paldea's Officer Jenny was on scene, and thanking them for their contribution to keeping Paldea safe. Every single man and woman captured had a serious criminal record, and Alex was slightly awed that he and his team were mostly responsible for taking such hardened criminals down. Arcean Crusaders, while well armored and armed, were single minded in their zealotry, and attack style. Had the hunters not become the hunted, their nets and arsenal of Shadow Pokémon would have occupied most of the A and B teams. At least until Connor's joined the fray.

Alex offered the Tyranitar, once cleansed, the chance to join them, but he declined, admitting that he didn't want to be the best, he just wanted to go home. Understanding that, Alex sent him there, once he knew where the creature had been caught, and it pictured the area in its mind. The other Pokémon were more mentally scarred by the Rockets, and the police took them to specialized therapists, an occupation that had become necessary after the world's governments realized just how depraved some Trainers were when it came to their Pokémon.

With the day settled and Festivus imminent, Connor departed from Alex to explore Paldea on his own, which was fine with Alex, as he had a few evolutions to handle before heading home. Firstly, they flew to the east province's Levincia City, had dinner and a brief anime showing with the city in the background of their cliffside camp, and once everyone was rested, they descended to the city. Alex bought some useful items, namely Ability Patches and he re-upped his supply of Adamant and Modest mints for those who still needed them. He got vitamins as well, though those were transferred over from Tao, from the military's supply. Even as a General, he had a limit on how many he could just take, but he came nowhere near approaching it to fill up his stash to his usual stack size of nine hundred or more.

He also realized his shoes had become a bit worn over the long years he'd traveled in them, and while their society's footwear was more durable, they did eventually succumb to entropy. Thus, he strolled into the Zapaldea store with Khan, and the curious Litten prowled around the shop, as Alex had to confirm his giant shoe size three times before the clerk got his measurements. The only thing they had in a men's eighteen was black and white, but that was exactly what Alex was after. As he broke in his fresh kicks with Khan, they headed to the nearby beach, where he sent out Kral again. When facing lower-level opponents, the young Horsea had been their water coverage, but now that he'd evolved, Kral was ready for a Dragon Scale, a rare but not uncommon item, since it only came from a Kingdra's scales, and only worked upon a Seadra for evolution.

While training, Kral had found a released Kingdra in the Fury Falls, the only one of his kind in that biome, and the two had battled, before becoming friends. After said battle, Kral had been given a Dragon Scale knocked loose in the fight by the old Kingdra, and now Alex promised to help him ascend. Eric had warned him to evolve his eventual Seadra somewhere wide open, as he had learned the hard way that evolving a Seadra into a dragon inside a lab was a bad idea.

With the Dragon Scale nestled among his own scales, Alex had him Water Pulse a few Palossand. He had the Seadra, long accustomed to bouncing around on land on his powerful tail, guide the ground type that would raise his experience enough for evolution towards the shallows of the beach. Then, Alex felt a change in the air as the ground typed ghost collapsed into a pile and shrank down to miniscule size. The water around Kral started to churn violently, rapidly forming into a Twister as draconic energy surged.

Nearby Wiglett and Wugtrio poked their heads out as they sensed the shift in power. A pod of nearby Finizen watched in awe, as they sensed the surge in water and dragon energy. The night lit up even brighter than Levincia as the watery cyclone shone with the light of Infinity, and then just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, leaving only Kral behind, floating majestically, snout held high, as his evolution finished. A trumpeting roar filled the area, and the Finizen started chittering and cheering, though Alex followed maybe half of their speech, not because he didn't grok it, but because almost half was in the form of clicking and was complexly intertwined with their Pokéspeech. The more he heard, the more he was convinced it counted as a separate language.

Alex nodded proudly at his Kingdra, as the two locked eyes. Now that he'd evolved twice, all he had to do was grow stronger, and his natural draconic heritage would make his stats skyrocket. Alex yawned, and then checked the time. After dinner and shopping and battling, it was Midnight. He let his new dragon rest within the mini pocket paradise that was his ball, and called out Khan, who was also on the verge of evolving. After taking down several Sandygast with Shadow Claw, he too shone with the light of evolution, though it wasn't quite as impressive as Kral's, the Finizen still congratulated him with their cheering. Alex was tempted to recruit one, or try to, given what they could, somehow, evolve into but he felt he had enough water power for the moment. There would be a time and a place to train a Palafin, and he couldn't bring himself to separate such an obviously happy and tight knit pod. Ideally, he needed a loner, who desired to become the best in the world. Given Palafin's absurd strength, one would undoubtedly be needed to help keep the seas of the world safe. Eventually.

They returned to their cliffside camp, and began their anime binge, with the massive stone slab Lux projected onto facing the city. That wasn't what initially caught the eyes of the crowd below though. Above the circular boardwalk that marked Levincia's center, Blaze and Shruikan started duking out their irritation with each other, with a clone of Alex nearby to psychically keep them from hurting anyone with their power. Once the bout ended in a brutal victory for Blaze, who was far more motivated, the crowds below, who had yet to go to bed, seemed to be watching the anime as well, albeit from a distance.

Leo claimed they were on to the part of the series called Shippuden now, and honestly, it was appealing to Alex far more. The protag was older and smarter, the animation had increased in quality again, the Jutsu were getting more powerful, and the plot lines were converging. He was very much hooked, and now understood why such an old series still had a cult following that was rather large, thousands of years after its creation. Leo mentioned that he had only begun his journey down the anime rabbit hole, but Alex was quite amused at how eager his thunder cat was to bring him, and the rest of their team, down into it with him.

Eventually, the showing ended, for about four hours, and then continued on until well past the sun's rise. They were making great progress episode wise, and Alex gave them all breakfast, a piece of Paldean sandwich with ingredients he'd gathered from his mother's pantry, or local stores. Arthur appeared with a Teleport after breakfast, to meet the blue Pawniard they'd caught. He had a brave nature naturally, but he'd been given a mint and some TMs already. Arthur was all too glad to take on training him himself, and Kage went as well, once the young ninja frog saw just how powerful of a fighter and master swordsman Arthur was. Alex dubbed the blue stabby boi Sir Erek, and with that, his Gallade Teleported back to Albion, and his love. Kage would only stay for a while, but Erek would stay long after he evolved into a Bisharp, to hone his skills and raise his level. At least until he was ready to challenge other groups of Bisharp with the item Alex had for him and claim his place as a Kingambit.

Po had wanted to go to Albion as well, but Alex wanted him on hand, in case they came across a scroll that could evolve him. Ideally, he'd wanted a Water Scroll, since that style of martial arts seemed most in line with Tao's movements, while the Single Strike Urshifu seemed far more suited to something like the Tiger Style. It was as he was about to leave with Noir, that Tao suggested he visit Montenevara, for Hyper Training, for Po specifically. Tao tasked him with getting the kung fu cub to 'amazing' tier levels in every stat category, and Alex accepted the challenge. Alongside potions, he had long since collected bottle caps, as it was Connor who told him of what one could learn with enough of them. It was also the last piece of what he'd saved up during his childhood that hadn't been used yet, but for Po, there wasn't much he would not do. He was a genuinely good Pokémon, and their natures were quite alike.

Aevum was also impatient to start battling, so to him, Alex had given most of the Exp. Candy he'd found lying about on their foot bound travels. Items really were everywhere in Paldea. This boost made the young hatchling molt, revealing glossy ultramarine blue feathers. They also got in some road battling, which put the young dragon in higher spirits by the time they reached the ghost themed winter wonderland that was Montenevara. Aevum's natural power and move pool helped him start his own unbroken win streak, and he grew quickly in strength, thanks to the powerful opponents the Trainers on Glaseado Mountain tended to use. His obvious skill in battle shone most when he was pitted against ice types, and still came away victorious thanks to the power of Luster Purge or Dragon Pulse.

The Hyper Trainer and his Abomasnow were quite eager to train a Kubfu, especially for someone with a golden bottle cap. Alex made sure his main ten already had stats considered amazing, which they did, and made a note of who needed what, on the other teams. They could work on that during their Hyper Training in Selva Muerta. With his traveling companions scattered, Alex had a four-way Holocall with them, where they agreed to pause their Paldean excursion to head home for Festivus Eve Day, Festivus Eve, and then of course, Festivus Day, when they'd all be getting presents. It was Po's present from Tao and Alex, that the Original Dragon wanted to impart to him, thus, after memorizing an anchor for Montenevara, he bamfed himself home, to the Dragonspiral Tower, and the seat of the Empire's real power.

Having seen the swamp filled ruin it started as; Alex let out the newbs who hadn't seen the tower yet and smirked at the awe on their faces. Black and white clad Scales came and went regularly on flying Pokémon, and trainees in white Gi and black pants were using the lower entrance. As they were here for Po, he stayed by Alex's side, but Aevum also wanted to be out. He smirked at Alex, zipping around excitedly with his now significantly larger body. "It looks just as impressive as it did in my past life. You really have restored the Original Dragon." He was growing, quite literally, very quickly along with his level, and was now almost adult sized. His spinning and frolicking caught people's attention, but people did a double take when they saw it was not Hikoki, but the Dragon Emperor himself with the Latios and the fluffy, slightly rotund Kubfu by his side.

The two Legend tier Pokémon flanked him as he casually strode into the tower, hands in his long white jacket's very useful, very deep pockets. There was a light murmur from the multitudes of people in the tower's entrance, as the unmistakable form of the Original Dragon in his true size spiraled down to greet his Tamer. He moved along the ceilings of the spiral structure, and thus ascended and descended quickly, without disrupting the humans he shared his home with too much.

Alex scratched under his massive jaw as Tao regarded him, and his new partners. "Aevummm." He rumbled happily, as he and the Latios gently pressed their foreheads together. "I had not thought to meet you again, my old friend…truly it feels as though the days of old have merged with the potential of the present, and the future we can create is bright indeed." He turned to Alex, then. "The B.B.A. graduates have been assembled and have begun working. The Replication Machines are coming along well, since your input. Between them and the Brain Trust, it is a matter of time before providing food for all will be a trifling accomplishment. We are ready to roll out and install the machines within hours of when they're finally perfected."

"And with the death of scarcity, follows the death of Currency." Alex said confidently.

Tao eyed him once more, his large golden orb inches from Alex, and only slightly taller than he was. "You are sure of this path?" He rumbled in his skull. "Every single other Human in history would consolidate this technology and make an endless profit from it. Are you sure you wish to give that up?"

Alex nodded. "I could try to lie and claim that I wanted to do that to get enough money for…well, ever, but that would be a lie. The Empire is already very profitable, and as time passes, it will grow more so. Being able to feed every one of our citizens is quite literally the least we can do, as their government. My orders stand, Tao. I want them in every Nation, on every corner, easily available, and professionally programmed. Lux is ready to train the Rotom for each of them, and Galar's Rotomi are being converted over, while their computer systems will be like ours, and capable of interregional transfers. The Replicator Rotoms will not refuse service to anyone who is hungry, and they can't be claimed by any one person or government. Doing that, will invoke the wrath of the Scales, and the local authorities. We can synthesize plant-based meat substitutes with only the various types of energy at our disposal, and the menu of available meals is pretty large, for a first-generation machine. Dragon Burgers will be available in every single machine, for very low material cost. And we need to keep the costs of popular dishes low too, so people don't start hurting Pokémon for their materials. We will strike a balance of quality and quantity and collapse the food and goods industries in one fell swoop." Now that he said it aloud, he figured, correctly, that his father would be Furious when he learned that he'd essentially greenlit a machine that would make their entire family business obsolete.

That was, however, his father's problem. Currency would soon not be a factor, and once that was achieved, he hoped his father could properly relax, for once in his life. It would do him good and go a long way towards extending his life expectancy. And not just his, either. Relieving the financial strain that buying daily meals put on the populace would free them up to spend on other things, and force less of them to toil for so many hours, though he fully expected the greedy Mukheads selling such products to try to raise their prices to ludicrous levels to compensate. That too, was part of the plan. Those driven by greed whose only God was currency would do exactly as they had always done, and it would, finally, decisively, bring about their ruin.

Tao smiled at him. "Once more, I am glad it was you who fused me back together, into One. Your will shall be done, Dragon Emperor…and now that I have confirmed it, you should be the one to announce it. Tomorrow, before Festivus Eve kicks off properly, you should announce this."

Alex shook his head. "People are going to lose their Muks when the food industry collapses overnight. Also, we need to wait until we can physically distribute these, all at once, all across the world. We have the materials, now. All it will take is time."

Tao nodded. "I trust your wisdom on…how your species will react. To this day I still cannot always predict Humans. Once the machines are prepared and the proper governmental authorities notified, they will be distributed. Your Psychic Types will have to help with that, I imagine."

Alex nodded. "I may have to train up an Abra, too. Or a Metagross. Or both. They'll be powerful additions to the team, and they'll be invaluable in distributing across the planet. Make sure the Imperium knows what's coming."

Tao eyed him again, though not as closely, as he said, "Our farms…indeed, farms across the world, will become obsolete. What then should the people do, with such large, vast, food-filled spaces?"

Alex smirked, as if Tao didn't already know his thoughts on this. "They'll be used for Pokémon. Obviously. The abused, the homeless, the weak, the injured. We'll turn them into sanctuaries, with the goal of healing and improving as many Pokémon lives as possible, and potentially either getting them competent Trainers, or releasing them back to the wild."

Tao gave him a bemused expression. "Sounds a lot like what your Professor friend in Italia is doing."

Alex nodded. "That's essentially the model. Either way, some farms will have to close, and we can use all that space for more housing, for Humans and Pokémon both. We can have Pokémon only neighborhoods, and Human houses that seamlessly meld with the natural environment, instead of trying to dominate it. There's also berry growing. They should be able to work as materials as easily as any Pokémon scale or what have you. Especially the rarer ones. We can encourage them to shift focus to berry growing, which won't require nearly as much space. And don't forget the Imperial price cap on high end goods and services, or the corporations will run rampant on the masses."

Tao nodded. "The laws are already written, and simply waiting to be put into effect. You have done remarkably well in your position, Alex…and as a reward, I will guide you to young Po's Festivus present, that you might finally attain an Urshifu's power." Alex and Po shared a wide-eyed look, though they shifted back to Tao as he spoke into their minds, and Alex smirked as Tao adopted an epic voice, similar to his. Po, naturally, was drowning in the coolness of the moment, as the coiling Legendary Dragon of Unova, amidst his tower and his numerous followers, imparted wisdom to him. "In an island cove off the western coast of Paldea, there lives an ancient Carracosta. He is wise in my ways, and he is an old, old friend. He often spends centuries, just meditating on aspects of existence and pondering the Universe in general. In his keeping, is the Dragon Scroll. It will allow young Po, should he decipher its meaning, to ascend to the heights of an Urshifu who has mastered both my style and my philosophy. It shall turn him into…a Dragon Warrior."

Po inhaled sharply, eyes wide in awe. "Dragon Warrior…sooo coooool…"

With Alex figuring he had once again passed some sort of milestone or test in Tao's eyes, he returned to his family's home, as they were hosting Festivus Eve this year. As he evaluated his time spent over the last month, he was proud. The number of total levels gained by Noir and the others was in the high hundreds, they had more new faces than expected that promised to be quite powerful additions to their roster, and most of said roster had evolved once already. James, Noir, and Kral had already advanced, as had Khan despite his newness.

His Rowlet, Coryn, caught way back in the White Forest had also finally gotten some training in, and was now a proud, preening Dartrix. Invictus, his former Chespin, also caught in the White Forest, had gained serious levels as a Chesnaught in their most recent Paldean training excursion, which just left Garuda, his stubborn, and still violent Combusken who attacked him and his feet every time he tried getting him to train. Magnus had become a Magneton after taking on some Bird Keepers, and on his way to the ranch, Alex visited the Chargestone Caves, both to acquire crystals and examine the environment, before feeding his floating electromagnet a Rare Candy.

In the presence of so much electric energy, Magnus ascended to his final form, and just like that, their team's electric power nearly doubled, thanks to the sheer power Magnezone possessed. Thanks to his stats, and an unnaturally modified special attack power on par with Gelauros', Magnus promised to be a force unmatched. As he strode out of the caves, Alex sent a copy of himself to the Imperial military base east of Humilau City, where he'd battled Colonel Surge. It was a good test for his clone's range. He had it acquire several empty plasma sword cases, and in an impressive show of psychic dexterity that nobody was around to witness, he inserted the gathered crystals into each sword, powering them on to make sure they worked properly. Now, if he was in danger, he could have multiple versions of himself backing him up with their own plasma swords, though whichever clone wielded Lux would probably be targeted first.

His clones seemed to have a psychic copy of his clothing, but they lacked Pokémon, and weapons. Now, he could effectively outnumber anyone that attempted to kill him, and keep safe whichever partners he gave to the clones. Once that was sorted, he Teleported himself back to the ranch.

He was about to open the door to his family home, when his ridiculously large hand paused, as it was opening from the other side. He'd been somewhat distracted, as he sent his clone even further east from the base, and northward as well. With the speed it was psychically flying at, it would reach Bostonia in minutes.

The distraction was enough to keep him from realizing who was behind the door, and as usual, the sight of his gorgeous redhead blew him away. He barely got a look at her before he grunted softly as he felt her jump onto his larger frame, but he held her there, just enjoying her smell and closeness in the moment. There wasn't even the usual lust she inspired, he was just glad to see her.

Leo, Noir, and Khan were still house-friendly in terms of size at least. The Eousian Torracat knew how to behave indoors. His new larger claws did tend to snag on the rugs, but eventually Leo showed him how to avoid getting tangled and accidentally ripping carpeting.

The crowd this year was a much more local affair, and given his new status and the Gladstones hosting the last party, it seemed most of the town had turned out for the chance to see how their quiet neighbor was faring as an emperor.

His parents were seemingly glad to see him, so he kept tight-lipped about the imminent death of their family legacy, unwilling to spoil the mood. Good times were had, good food was a welcome change from what Alex could fashion with his own meager but improving cooking skills, and he caught up with his old school acquaintances who, unsurprisingly, considered themselves 'close personal friends' of his.

When he'd been the quiet weirdo who was too stupid to have a Pokémon, he might as well have been a pariah to these people, but now the reality of those past times was being replaced with delusion. Alex didn't really care, though. Most of his hometown peers had simply ignored him. Those he'd played Football with had also come over, and back in the day had mostly ignored his lack of a Pokémon in favor of his larger frame. Even among them he'd been third string and never really played for his school's team, but again, their past connections were exaggerated like he'd been a first string lineman.

He had an inkling as to why they were cozying up to him. Apparently, someone had leaked the rumor about the city sized horde of gold bars Caleb Pravus had stolen from his populace over the centuries. He quietly wondered just how they'd be treating him once currency was no longer a factor in their society.

Eventually though, one of their townie guests did ruin the mood. Alex had a brief flashback to when he was smaller, and had been at the mercy of the same trio of edgy tryhards who had appointed themselves his bullies as they loudly called out his name through the main dining room. The only real difference now, was their slightly updated hairstyles, each had a variation of a fauxhawk, and an updated wardrobe of torn-on-purpose clothes. He only had to look at their shoes to accurately gauge their skill in battling. "So. The mighty 'emperor' returns. Honestly since I heard you reunited the Dragon, I haven't believed a word of the hype. I bet the Dragon wins all your Battles for you." He declared, confident in his stupidity.

Alex just took a deep breath, and shook his head. Punching his subjects was a bad look, and he didn't need any comparisons to Pravus. No matter how good it would feel, or how absurdly punchable his face was. "Sloane, Dane, and Bryce. I thought I sensed a drop in the room's average IQ. Who the Muk let you in here?"

"I did…" His mother said quietly. "They were part of the group your friends arrived with."

"Well, they're no friends of mine." He stated flatly, and loudly, as his baritone got the entire party's attention. Even if they hadn't bullied him when he was a vulnerable child, he preferred not to associate with people that full of themselves as a rule. "In fact, they made my Pokéless childhood that much worse thanks to their attempts at bullying. Their insults were as weak as they were, but they had Pokémon bound by a ball, who listened to them."

His mother glared at them, as she finally discovered the source of all his torn, dirty clothes. But Alex was already walking towards them, eyes on fire. He locked eyes with Sloane, their doughy, greasy dark haired leader. Alex remembered him being a lot more intimidating. Now, he towered over him more than he had as a kid. Were he a more violent man, he might have contemplated how easy it would've been to psychically reduce the repugnant existence before him to pulp, but murder was the furthest thing from Alex Redwood's mind. He disliked the man, absolutely. That would never change. Some things couldn't be forgiven. But he was after something more approaching justice, in his opinion. Or a humiliating lesson, at the very least. Nothing more. True hatred, genuine hatred, he saved for the likes of Ein and Pravus, and without them around, the list of humans he despised had shrunk significantly.

"But that's ancient history, right?" Alex said, far too calm with his tone. He felt his parents in particular watching as they recognized his tone, but he continued anyway. "Lucky for us, we have a non-violent method of settling grievances in this Empire. Come, Sloane. I'm glad you and your obedient lackeys showed up. It's long past time that you and I Battled again, now that I actually have a partner. Properly."

He could see the man's desire to be anywhere else, but to what little credit he had, his eyes didn't waver. It wasn't that he didn't want to try to run, he just simply knew there was no running from a Trainer Battle, at this point. Their eyes had met, and rules were rules. He did shoot for a loophole, though. "The, uh, the…snow! The snow, Alex. It's everywhere. Very high. Been snowing a lot lately. Can't Battle in that, can we. …?"

His words became a question as he watched the much taller man smirk. "We can go out back. I'll clear us some space."

Alex gestured, and the man glanced at his friends. They followed him out, and Alex didn't have to read their minds to guess what they were planning. Whatever plans they had melted as easily as the snow did. They watched in disbelief as the man they'd picked on for years demonstrated, without a Pokémon, that he was in an entirely different class than normal Trainers, or even normal humans, at this point. He breathed literal fire, seemingly with ease, and cleared a battlefield sized scorch mark of space for them. Then, by merely lifting his arms, he gave his family and guests literal front row seats made of stone.

He called out Terra then, unafraid of letting them know his quadruple weakness. Terra's leaves filled the air as he roared, and stunned everyone as the green flash of his aura pulsed through everything around them, and left them feeling…better? Healthier? More…natural, somehow. It was a strange, but not unpleasant feeling. The titanic earth tortoise stared down the three humans, with narrowed eyes. He, more than anyone else, had been in Alex's head enough, seen enough of his past, to recognize their faces, despite them being a bit older now. "This is my Starter. Since I'm a Champion, we'll have a Triple Battle…but I'll only be using two Pokémon, one at a time. You can use everything you have on your belts. In the interest of fairness."

Sloane sneered at him indignantly. "I don't need your Mukking handica-"

"We accept your kindness, Victory League Champion." One of the lackeys, Dane, said. Alex recalled him as being the least willing to mess with him. Most of their encounters, he'd had a look on his face, like he hated being a part of it. As they'd gotten older though, that look had changed into something darker, though from the rumors Alex had heard, his home life was tough. It didn't excuse his actions, but it did put them in perspective. Of the three, Dane was the one he disliked least, mostly because he wasn't a complete idiot, like his friends.

Sloane sent out his Dustox, and if the obedient bug showed signs of recognizing him, it didn't give anything away with its creepy, emotionless face. Dane sent out a rather plain looking Umbreon, and Bryce revealed that his rather brutal Machop was now a fully grown Machamp, at a decent level. For an average Trainer.

"Since I'm handicapped…we shall go first. Terra! Energy Ball. Then Razor Leaf the other two." The three seemed to panic slightly as Terra formed his somewhat iconic ball of dense grass energy. By this point, people were well aware of his favoritism for pulse moves, and Earthquake. Like the Champion he was, Terra drew the energy, condensed it, and fired in under two seconds. He often acted as Alex's bed/couch during their anime binging, and Alex could sense his pride as the perfectly layered condensed energy sphere slammed into the Machamp.

Four super powerful arms caught the attack, as Bryce was too shocked to give his Machamp an order. He opened his mouth to speak eventually, but that was when the orb, at Terra's direction, exploded in the four-armed fighter's face. He went soaring up and backwards at least fifteen feet in the air, before collapsing in an unconscious heap. Bryce looked at his remaining two balls, and then his opponent's super strong starter. "I-It's a monster…" Alex heard him whisper.

Alex just shook his head, and crossed his arms as he continued to smirk and responded to Bryce's words. "Aye. A green monster. Continue, Terra." Razor Leaves joined the other leaves in the air. Some had been directed to act as seat cushions for their spectators, and now, the leaves not being sat upon all moved to Terra's command, like a leafy composer, he roared, and they changed direction towards the Umbreon and the Dustox. To their credit, the two Trainers managed to shout commands this time. Machamp had gone down in the space of maybe three seconds into the battle, and while the Umbreon had a face to show expressions, Alex assumed the Dustox was just as unnerved.

"Silver Wind!" "Double Team, Umbreon!" A Poliwhirl joined the two as they attacked and dodged. The bug typed Silver Wind was actually the perfect counter for Razor Leaf, and the Umbreon seemed stressed, but he and his clones dodged well. The problem was Terra's ridiculous amount of leaves. Eventually, they slashed through every clone, at which point the Umbreon used Dig on his own initiative, managing to survive the attack intact. "Ice Punch!" Bryce called, once Poliwhirl appeared. It glanced nervously at its Trainer as it saw its opponent, and then charged at Terra.

Then, came their counter. "Seed Bomb." Oar shaped seeds hurtled towards the Poliwhirl, who to its credit had enough intelligence to block with his Ice Punch. It was all that kept him from fainting from the hit. At that moment, the Umbreon surfaced from his dig, and with only a shift in his eyes, Terra diverted several Seed Bombs to hammer it before it could land the Dig on him. Alex could tell Terra frowned a bit, as the sheer force of the physical and STAB boosted grass attack from the much, much higher leveled grass tortoise sent the dark fox flying back, past his Trainer, skidding into the dirt, and then the snow. Alex wasn't done though, the Dustox was still a problem.

"Poisonpowder!" Sloane called out. Before the moth could act though, Alex countered. "Don't let it attack, Terra. Bury it. Rock Slide!"

As poisonous spores started falling from the Dustox's fluttering wings, a landslide of powerful stones appeared from nowhere above it and buried it alive. Terra hadn't held back against the Pokémon that had bound up his helpless Trainer. Alex could tell it had also fainted in one hit, as Machamp and now Umbreon had seemed to. As Sloane frantically started digging his partner free, Alex intervened, if only so the Dustox didn't get hurt from the weight while it was unconscious. The three stared in awe at him as he stomped the ground, and then raised his arms. The stones floated up and then landed harmlessly behind the trio, where the rock energy that created them started to disperse, slowly.

Poliwhirl regrouped by his Trainer, as Dane sent out his last Pokémon, and Sloane brought out number two of the three he had. It seemed Dane had a fairly well trained Gallade, while Sloane released a Beartic. That, made Alex's eyebrow raise. They were notoriously hard to train, since they had kept the same uncaring and occasionally cannibalistic tendencies that the Polar Bears they'd evolved from had possessed. That wasn't to say they'd murder a Cubchoo not related to them for no reason, but they would probably knock it out to demonstrate their dominance. As far as he knew, they preferred to, in Unova at least, go after Magikarp and Basculin for their meat. They could also be rather powerful swimmers.

It seemed that Sloane's had been caught thanks to an Ultra Ball, and likely at a high level. It was poorly trained and likely often refused to listen, but as it locked eyes with Terra, the frosty bear's eyes glinted with murder. There was a reason slow moving grassy earth tortoises didn't exactly thrive in Unova, and that was due to Beartic's natural ferocity, and the fecundity of Pokémon in general. Unova, and every territory north of them, had to deal with Beartic populations. They were typically a nuisance, and had learned to avoid humans, but that didn't stop them from rummaging through their trash for food. Every once in a while, a powerful one would rampage, but there was usually a Trainer around with a fighting or rock type that could handle it.

Once their opponents were all called out, Alex said, "Earthquake, and then Stone Edge." Terra shifted his weight and stomped the ground, but he kept his momentum, as his other foot rose, following the massive surge of stone and earth. The Beartic, on his own initiative, Bulldozed through the powerful attack, and thanks to its level, didn't faint immediately. The Poliwhirl Hydro Pumped through part of it, and fell to a knee, but he wasn't done yet. The Gallade had Teleported away, and then back at his Trainer's command, revealing how unused to using it in battle he was. It was a good strategy, but it left his teammates open.

Terra's second foot came down with much greater force as he simply shifted his weight, and their opponents only had time to widen their eyes before the rapidly rising series of stones surged towards the Beartic, hammering him with a brutal strike that sent him flying up and back into the snow much like Umbreon. Before the weakened Poliwhirl and returned Gallade could strike back, Terra vanished into his ball. "That's enough, Terra. Flawlessly done. Canis. You're up." By his measurement, these two might finally push him over the edge, to the same level as the rest of the A Team, a goal he had been training relentlessly to reach. Alex put his hands in his pockets, as the aura hound appeared. "This Battle is yours, my friend. Strike as you see fit."

The rather chill natured Lucario nodded, fell into his stance, and smirked. His eyes burned with psychic blue aura, and then the aura hound vanished with superior agility. The next thing Alex and the small crowd saw was the flash of blue by the Poliwhirl, as Canis used a Pokémon Base swing with impressive form and his aura bone in conjunction. The swing struck the two-legged frog creature across its weak midsection, and it too went skipping across the field, before landing fainted in the snow. Canis had struck its weakest point on purpose, and it was more than enough to finish the tough polliwog.

Canis locked eyes with the Gallade then, but to him and his Trainer's credit, they weren't backing down before such an obvious difference in power. "Let's go, Gallade! Psycho Cut! Don't let up!"

The gallant knight and the aura hound shared a nod, and then they both vanished. A massive wave of aura blew through the corral as the pair of psychic glowing arms collided with the aura bone. Canis began striking, but the Gallade was also attacking. Alex blinked, as he sensed one of the younger Redwoods waddle up next to him. He put up a Barrier, that faded from view instantly, just in case things got too intense.

Allen, or 'Little Al', since he himself was 'Big Al' to their family, murmured excitedly as he watched the battle. Alex had a bit of a shock seeing the five-year-old he'd remembered now much taller and older at eight. "They're perfectly matched! I can't even see the attacks!" He looked up at his cousin in awe.

Alex chuckled, and patted his head. "Look closer, cuz. Gallade is actually on the defensive. He hasn't been able to attack, because Canis is that much faster. He won't be able to block forever." The kiddo squinted, and then his eyes widened, as he saw that Alex was right. He glanced up at his older cousin with even wider eyes, rapidly gaining more hero worship for his relative as seeing him breathe literal fire and being able to watch moves this fast hinted at his power.

"Could you teach me how to Battle too?" He asked quietly, and Alex chuckled.

"Once you're ten…and your parents say it's okay…sure. Get a starter from Eric, and then come find me at the Dragonspiral Tower. The journey there should get you and your partner some experience, and once you arrive we can hone your skills." Alex's Uncle Ed and Aunt Gloria met his gaze as he glanced back at them, but he didn't sense disapproval from his father's brother, or his wife. They lived in town, but in their own house with their two other children, Rose and Abigail, who were the youngest of his generation of Redwoods.

The two looked back at the battle, as the Gallade finally ran out of power for his move, sliding back from the collision of power as the aura bone met his Psycho Cut. Seeing he was out of power, Canis dismissed his weapon with a flourish, and raised his iron-hard paws. "Why's he using his punches?" Came little Al's voice. Alex just chuckled again.

"He wants the Battle to be fair. Gallade is too tired for Psycho Cut now, so he put his aura weapon away. The Battle is as good as over, though." Sloane wasn't calling out his third Pokémon for some reason, and both he and Bryce were watching the clash in awe. Alex knew it was about to end, though. Canis was, at this point, probably better than his Trainer at using the Dragon Style's furious fists. To Alex's surprise, he formed an Aura Sphere in his palm, in a manner that was quite familiar to him and his team. He sensed their amusement as they watched from within their balls.

The two combatants charged, but Alex knew it was over. Canis swirled past his guard, and hammered the condensed, spinning Aura Sphere into the Gallade's stomach at melee range. The psychic warrior's eyes went wide, as the sheer power of the aura sent him hurtling back, and spinning. He sailed over the corral's gate and connected fence, and into the deeper snow beyond it. Dane started trudging over, finding his path cleared as Canis moved enough snow to make a path for him, psychically. They shared a nod, and then Canis's eyes widened as he felt the experience from the relatively easy fight push him over the final hurdle to the peak level a Pokémon could reach. His aura flared as his body reached its absolute peak, pulsing around him, and the nearby humans. Human measurements labeled this achievement as one hundred levels, but Pokémon never stopped gaining experience. At one hundred, or past it, there simply wasn't much of a point in determining their power based on level. At that point, their stats simply stopped increasing. Every Pokémon with a serious Trainer reached that plateau eventually, and as far as Alex knew, there was no way to break past it. They still gained experience, but it no longer caused their bodies to change. That didn't mean Canis was done training though. It just meant he was ready to create his own Signature Move, something Alex intended to help all of his teammates master, eventually.

Alex fist bumped him, as Canis made his way back inside the house, to the party, for a well-earned snack. Upon hearing his favorite food, Alex's mom had whipped him and Po up some meat buns, and Canis hoped, for Po's sake, that he hadn't eaten all of them yet. There would be some brutal training in store if he had, but the kung fu cub would probably enjoy that.

As the cold spectators went inside, murmuring about just how good their relative's little Riolu had gotten, the three losers approached Alex after retrieving their partners. "My last one is just a…baby Elekid. And honestly…" Sloane took a deep breath, and Alex's eyes widened slightly as he sensed the train of his thoughts and the shift in the equations of reality hovering around the edges of his vision. "I don't think I could handle an Electivire and my Beartic. You made it painfully obvious where my skills are…so I'm giving him to you." He said, holding out the black and gold Luxury Ball the baby Pokémon slept in. "As an apology…for what we used to do to you. Please, make him strong in ways that I can't. All I want...is for him to be the Champion I know he can be."

Alex just stared at the ball, and its occupant. Adamant natured, male, and his physical attack stat was at its peak potential already, as were speed and defense. His other stats would need eventual Hyper Training, but he promised to be a monster in battle, if raised properly. "Sloane…you do realize what you're giving up, right?"

The man winced, still holding out the ball, unable to look at it, or him, at that moment. "Just take him. He deserves a Champion Trainer…and I'm not it." His eyes burned with a resolve then, that Alex didn't know he had. "I will train my Beartic, though. Like Brycen. Then maybe one day we'll be able to match you and Fulguron."

Alex took the ball, and the trio departed to their car in front of the house. "Fulguron." He said, quietly. The ball shook, and then opened. The Elekid within was massive, for his age, and Alex revised his opinion of his final form. He would be a hairy, electric titan, with surprising speed and a wide move pool. He looked Alex over and gave a short salute as he made a whirring noise like a motor that Alex's ears heard as a greeting. "Hello there. I'm your new Trainer."

Alex explained their goal to the young sparky Pokémon, and then left him with a pair of clones to face off against Khan while he returned to the party. Still testing his limitations, Alex had his clone in Bostonia selling off the small mountain of valuable treasures within his pack to the various stores in the city. Once they were done at the party, Alex, Connor, and Jess bamfed back to the Palace of Ideals for their nightly rituals, after depositing their teams with the other Pokémon. While Alex devoted his whole self to Jess, as he always did after they'd been apart for a while, he did split off a clone, to get some things done, before he passed out from exertion. Firstly, he called out his Swanna, and explained to her that he'd found a Trainer with an Abra way over in the Hoenn region's Dewford Town. The Trainer in question desired a Swanna for competitions, and Alex admitted that he had no immediate intentions to start competing in contests.

While a little sad, Swanna agreed it was a better fate than sitting around the ranch's pond all day preening her feathers or staying within her ball all winter. He gave her a hug before recalling her, fondly remembering how easily the little Ducklett he'd caught had evolved. When he'd learned to speak with his team, she had been among those who had no interest in battling, but they were all in agreement that this path would both be good for her in general, and significantly increase the power of their team through the trade. Alex saw the genuine love the younger female Trainer immediately had for her once she appeared on the other side, but he kept a mental tether to her, just in case she ever needed help. He just couldn't bring himself to cut away a connection completely, one of the many reasons he disliked trading. The young Japanese Trainer thanked him profusely and promised to make her a Master class beautiful Pokémon.

Alex just nodded, as did his Swanna, and then, the screen went dark. In the deepest parts of his mind, he quietly wondered how he was ever going to handle his mortal partners dying, if trading one on to a more fitting existence tore him up this much. Sure, some had been blessed by Xerneas, but many had not. He resolved to deal with the issue of mortality later, as the most logical solution would be to, near or at the end of their natural life spans, move them and their consciousness into a metallic body, so they could persist longer. But such things, even with the Empire's technology, were very much science fiction.

Trading his Swanna had hurt, but the prize, was worth it. In the quiet of the Palace of Ideal's underground chambers, he summoned the Abra in question, and nodded. Male, fairly close to evolution, perfectly average sized, and sleeping as he floated in place effortlessly, though it seemed to not have been trained. A Modest Mint would sort his natural growth out. He gently woke the Abra up, who didn't seem to realize he'd been traded, and while initially sad, Psi (sigh), as Alex dubbed him, was eventually seemingly on board with their goals. Alex got the feeling he was too tired to really think about what was being asked of him, so he saved it for when the young Abra would become a Kadabra. Given how hard they were to find, train, and evolve, he hoped Psi would willingly join them. In terms of his team's psychic power, which had taken a serious blow now that Arthur was occupied, all he wanted to immediately train next was a Metagross, and ideally, a shiny variant. He'd always liked the idea of having one, like Chairman Stone of the Devon Corporation did.

Having enough partners to train already though, and knowing the odds of finding a shiny Beldum, the clone focused on his next task: testing the limits of how far he could venture from his body, before vanishing. He had the clone in Bostonia gather Po and Shruikan's balls and set out. Shruikan carried Po's in one claw, with a firm grip, tucked up against his scales as they shot out over the Atlantican Ocean. Just in case he vanished before they came to Paldea. The trip took several hours, and by the time they arrived in Paldea, Alex was feigning sleep back at the palace, while he focused on piloting his clone. The further it went, the more energy it took to sustain, but as he adjusted the link and psychically ran it through the lines of energy across the planet, he found the draw lessened. It would take time, but he could theoretically send them as far as necessary, so long as his main body was unoccupied and there was a psychic source to keep them tethered through.

While he did his mental gymnastics, Shruikan searched for and spotted the aforementioned sea cave that Tao's friend resided in. Alex recalled his intimidating black dragon, and instead walked in beside Po. Inside, they found a shallow pool of very clear blue green water. In the center of the pool was a very, very old Carracosta, and the longer Alex looked at him, namely his shell, the more he was convinced that he was looking at the oldest living example of the species. The oldest Relicanth alive had certain rock striations after millennia of existing in the ocean, and this Carracosta's shell was similarly old looking, though he was no geologist. If he knew Tao before he'd split, he had to be at least three hundred, though for the ancient sea turtles, that was apparently still a young age for them. Alex smirked, as he sensed Po immediately desired to battle it.

The two approached the balancing sea turtle, who was holding himself upside down on the surface of the water with only a single tip of his arm fin. Po coughed, stood tall, not unlike his Trainer, and in a deeper, but still epic voice said, "Hello there. I am Po. I have come seeking the Dragon Scroll."

The ancient Carracosta opened one rocky, crusty eye, and glanced at Po, then, slowly, at his human partner. His lips cracked next, sending flakes of cerulean blue rock to the water under him. He was smiling, Alex realized. Then, suddenly, and with surprising speed, the ancient turtle rotated on the water into the standing upright standing position his kind used for land travel, sometimes. Usually, they had to be older to go very far ashore and not get caught by a grass type or predator. Alex felt a chill up his spine as he recognized how the turtle moved. It was exactly like Tao. Spiraling, perfectly fluid, almost unnaturally so, like air resistance simply didn't exist for him. He'd thought that was just part of his draconic heritage, but apparently true mastery of the Dragon Style allowed one to move in a different manner entirely.

The ancient Pokémon smashed off his shell then, in a loud display, as weathered rock chunks and hardened rocky scales fell away, revealing fresh layers beneath. Alex watched, impressed at just how long rock types, with experience and enough life energy perhaps, could last eons. "Such kind Auras." The turtle said, slowly and shakily moving his head as he looked at both of them. "What brings you to my humble cave?"

Po glanced at Alex, cleared his throat, and repeated, "I am Po! This is my Human, Alex. We're here to claim the Dragon Scroll, that I might become…a Dragon Warrior!"

"Dragon Warrior…?" The Carracosta said, sounding puzzled. He stared at Po, then. "You'd have to be a Kubfu to become one, my gray, indistinct new friend." The ancient lips widened into a bigger smile, and Po chuckled awkwardly, then looked up at his Trainer for help.

Alex peered closer at the turtle and nodded. His eyes were almost completely white. He could renew the rock and skin of his body, but the fleshy parts also aged. Alex focused his power then, slowly, as he had to channel it very far, but the turtle made no move to stop him, simply smacking his lips, and keeping that smile on his weathered face. As the Heal Pulse eventually washed over the Carracosta, his eyes regained their silvery blue color, and he blinked, standing a little straighter as the cells and base components of his soft tissue, like joints and so on, were restored. It could turn out to be a temporary restoration, but given how slowly the creature decayed, Alex had likely given him quite a few more years.

"Oh my…such powerful Psychic energy…but refreshing! I feel a thousand years younger. You have my thanks, Aura Guardian. Now then…" The elderly Pokémon trailed off in his sentence as he looked between the two of them with less shaky swings of his long neck. He seemed about to ask him why they'd come, when he remembered he'd already done that. His brain's neurons were firing a little quicker too, after the Heal Pulse. "Right…the Dragon Scroll! If you are here, you must have been sent by the Original Dragon." The pair nodded in sync. "I am glad he is whole, again. Now where did I…"

The ancient stone turtle looked around confused, as he realized that time and erosion had changed his cave quite a bit. "Oh dear…this pool used to be much deeper…" He looked down, and then looked up at the pair, and shrugged. "It seems the scroll has likely been washed out to sea."

Alex was about to turn and leave, when he paused. There was something…sly in the turtle's manner. The genuine smile now had a hint of…mischief? He groaned inwardly. Another test from another ancient recluse. The Carracosta gave an imperceptible nod, and then his eyes shifted to Po. Alex nodded again. It seemed the test was for his partner. Thus, Alex knelt to his level, though they were eye to eye at that height. He'd grown in height, as well as muscle mass, and Alex was genuinely proud. He'd put in the work to burn most of his fat, and though his love of food and late-night snacking would likely always leave him a little chubby, his extra padding had actually come in handy numerous times, namely with blocking the fighting typed energy of his opponents. For some reason, those who struck nerves or energy points with honed finesse only received a slight jiggle for their efforts, before Po brutally countered them, usually with his very Zen Headbutt.

He pondered his words carefully, not wanting to give the game away. In Po's head, though Alex had no doubt the ancient turtle could divine the essence of what he was saying, he told the young cub, "Po. I sense the Dragon Scroll is somewhere nearby. Very close. If not around the cave, then within it. You must be the one to find it. Only you can truly become the Dragon Warrior. I'm just your Trainer, and I already have an epic title. This one is all yours, bud."

That seemed to excite the cub. "Yes." He said with strong affirmation and an epic tone. "I shall find the scroll on my own…and my Legend…shall begin!" He dashed out of the cave then, and Alex simply floated in the air cross-legged, confident the young cub had what he needed move wise to succeed. He knew pretty much every TM his species could learn, and he was high enough in level to have mastered Counter. He was ready, of that, Alex was sure.

Alex intended to actually get some sleep as he entered his trance resting state, but the Carracosta had other plans. "It just occurred to my old mind that I do not know your names."

Alex opened his eyes but didn't mind chatting with the seemingly very friendly ancient being. He got the impression he needed to use all of his titles, though, for some reason. "I'm Alex Redwood. Champion of the Victory League, Tamer of the Original Dragon, Wielder of the Light, and a direct contributing liberator of at least…four Regions." He finished, recalling Norstad, Fornia, Koria, and Albion. He didn't consider what he did with the Nexus as counting, and besides, that had been mostly Arthur who had actually made closing the Nexus work.

The Carracosta nodded his head to each of his titles. He nodded after Po, then. "And him?" His smile was genuine, and it seemed he'd forgotten the young cub's name already.

"He's…Po. He journeyed on foot all the way from Eous to Unova to seek out someone who could teach him the Dragon Style of Kung Fu. He's worked hard to be ready for evolution…and he's become a good friend."

That, made the ancient turtle smile. "So, you know our style, mine and the Dragon's. And you believe yourself fit to teach it?"

Alex felt a familiar tingle go up his spine as he processed the turtle's tone. "Yes, I do."

He guided his real body quietly out of the palace's bedroom, pulled on his clothes, and then switched positions with his clone. He set the clone to pretending to scroll on the Pokénet in the hall outside his chamber, while Lux slept. Nox awakened, in his shadow, as he physically appeared in the ancient Carracosta's cave. He was gathering power for the upcoming World Tournament, which as a dark ghost, required long hours of infusing ghost and dark energy into his very essence, but this intrigued him. Bound as he was to his human's shadow, he'd figured out he could appear under whatever clone he desired, if it was within sight. If it was further, he needed help from Alex to reach it.

Once he switched, the Carracosta grinned. They were of a mind, it seemed. "I would know your name, ancient one." Alex said, as he formed the power for a battle-ready aura shield, one capable of tanking a hit from a creature that could one shot a tanker ship hull with a fin.

"I am the Turtle Sage, Oogway. Senior Master of the Dragon Style of Kung Fu, and the first Pokémon to wield it in a manner unlike any Human had before us." He fell smoothly into his approximation of a stance in their shared style, as Alex did the same, for all the good it would do.

Then, of course, Tao chimed in as well within his head as he locked eyes with the Carracosta. "He is the one who unlocked the synergistic relationship between Truth and Ideals. A master of both Harmony and Focus. That revelation unlocked my full potential. He is the Eldest Sage, and yes, functionally immortal."

Alex just nodded. He had no doubts he would lose. He was fully aware the Swamp Sage had not gone all out against him but went hard enough to match his level of strength. His true power lay in his secret, custom psychic techniques, though Alex knew he saved those for the direst of situations, and never for offense. Alex put Oogway on the same level as the Mewtwo he'd been briefly and brutally instructed by.

The rocky turtle glanced behind him, and then waggled a fin in the universal gesture for 'bring it'. Alex didn't hesitate, he leapt forward as his aura surged to life, now a balanced blending of both psychic and dragon energy. Since dragon energy enhanced the other types, except fairy and ice, by dominating them and strengthening them, he'd essentially done the same thing to his shield. It was hard enough to hold off several genuine hits from Canis, which made him less paranoid about snipers, now. A Lucario's steely punch was, quite literally, comparable to a bullet, and he knew his aura hound had struck with more force than a rapidly fired projectile could maintain. A close-range shot might crack the shield, but most bullets would simply be crushed flat. Unless they exploded, too.

As he approached, Oogway's body seemed to crumble away, and Alex's eyes widened as he recognized a proper Shell Smash. With new, blinding speed Oogway spun past his guard and hit him with a heavy fin full of momentum. Alex went sailing, but psychically caught himself, not unlike a Mewtwo in freefall, which was where he'd learned the trick. His body looped in the air as he killed his inertia and landed on two feet, his shield still intact.

Deciding to utilize his newest technique, he crossed his fingers before him, and sent a multitude of clones at Oogway, who simply smiled. "Wonderful. More targets." More rocks fell away from the Kung Fu master, and if he'd been fast before, he was rapidly approaching the ludicrous speeds that shelled Pokémon could gain when they lowered their defense enough. It did tend to regrow from the move quickly after a battle, but he still had never really used it on Terra. Appreciation for the speed it could give, speed that could match a certain World Champion's electric rodent, perhaps, was beaten into him, as Oogway whirled through his clones in a blur.

Again, Alex changed tactics. His clones replenished their numbers, and began Teleporting around, finally managing to land a few hits on the ancient turtle, whose brows furrowed when they connected. Apparently, he hadn't been expecting to get hit. Three clones came at Oogway at once as the landed hit stunned him, followed by another dragon palm strike on his very lowered defenses. He stumbled back, as a clone slid along the shallow pool's floor, and hammered Oogway with a large amount of dragon energy stored in his absurdly large feet.

He wasn't after damage, but movement. Oogway tanked the attack on his fins, but it still sent the five-foot-tall turtle with a surprisingly low bodyweight, even lower now after all the shell smashing, soaring up into the air. Alex directed his clones then, and they Teleported up to Oogway's stunned mid-air form, each unleashing a signature strike of their style be it as a kick or a punch, all at once.

Then, Alex blinked, and somehow, with only an unrecognized blur of movement and yet another Shell Smash, Oogway tore through every clone in a perfect circle above him all at once, utterly stopping his Redwood Barrage. A faint blue blur was all Alex could make out at his maxed speed, and he arced downwards before landing smoothly back on the pool's rippling surface with a single fin tip, much the way Alex and Po had first found him. He chuckled at the human's expression. "Does my mastery surprise you?"

"What…even was that!? That was no Move…not a normal one anyway." According to his clone's physical input, the strikes had been surprisingly hot, for coming from a water type.

Oogway began doing what Alex could only describe as breakdancing on the water's surface, as he deigned to explain, and powered up his next attack. Alex had a feeling it was Rapid Spin, and that it would hurt a lot with his speed and attack power raised six stages. Much of his rocky body armor was simply gone after all the smashing, and his shell was an uneven lumpy mess, but Alex knew Oogway was currently at a level of speed and attack power that would very easily defeat, if not kill him.

"What is time, but motion? What is motion, but the generation of heat? Are not heat and energy two different words for the same thing? When you comprehend that, you will understand how I moved through your clones so easily." Oogway smirked at him from his spinning position, and then vanished. Alex didn't wait, he Teleported, but he still felt the immense heat from the Rapid Spin as he reappeared. He briefly wondered if Oogway might be trying to injure or kill him, and then wondered why he would do such a thing. Then, he looked around.

Whatever had brought a figure like the Eldest Sage to this place, the Dragon Scroll was probably the only thing this far from Paldea of any significant worth. And he and Po just marched right in and asked for it. While Oogway might have befriended the Dragon, his student was another story altogether. A competitor, in a competition Alex knew, thanks to Oranguru and Tao, had an ulterior purpose, in drawing out the world's strongest Trainer. He didn't know why they didn't just turn to Ash Ketchum for whatever hidden purpose the Sages had with the World Tournament, but he fully intended to find out for himself.

Alex pondered the turtle's words, as it watched him, expectantly. For this, he turned to the vague patterns of the universe swirling around his vision. Motion created kinetic energy. Somehow, Oogway was converting it to thermal energy, perhaps by moving so fast, the mere shifting of his mass through space caused the particles around him to move rapidly enough to generate enough heat to be damaging. Thankfully, Alex had a firm grasp on heat manipulation. His eyes widened, as the formulas led him to the answer of a long-sought issue, he'd been having with his firebending.

He moved rapidly then through the forms of the Korian Dragon Dance he'd learned from Avatar Wan, and sure enough, he felt his inner energy balance out into separately charged pools, but this time he guided the heat around him, from his body, interconverting it from the kinetic energy of his movements. As much heat as he could control was channeled through his very being, between the two separated pools of energy and enhanced with his power. Oogway's eyes widened as blue-white lightning lanced forward from Alex's fingertips in a wild, destructive blast.

Oogway dodged gracefully, merely shifting to the side and tucking in his head under the wild arcing bolts. He looked back at Alex with a slow nod after seeing the damage. "I see now why the Dragon thinks so highly of you, enough to train you. Enough to send you here. Train hard, with the concepts you have seen here. It will…widen your pool of Moves." The old turtle let his six stage boosts go then and Alex stood up, glad that the turtle's desire to kill him had simply been intense training. Then, he noticed Po by the cove's entrance. He'd been watching the whole time.

"Holy Muk! Alex! You learned Thunderbolt!" The kung fu cub enthusiastically swore, and then cheered, and both Alex and Oogway chuckled.

"I suppose I did, Po. It's about time, really. Now all I need is to master Ice Beam, and I'll be a quarter of the way to Tao's level of manipulation." He looked back at Oogway, then. "Can we please let him read the Scroll now?"

Oogway just smiled at them. "If he can find it, certainly." He began balancing on one fin invertedly once again, and while Alex left Po to search, he examined his hand and his nerves for damage. It seemed his intense and purposeful boost to the kinetic energy produced by the dance hadn't injured him significantly. He also realized he didn't need that many movements. There was a limit to how much kinetic energy he could interconvert within his bodily energy network into heat, which manifested as a bolt of plasma after being run through his pools of positively and negatively charged energy, in perfect balance within him. Thus, the limiting factor on his Thunderbolts was how quickly he could generate body heat, and then strike.

As Po looked around fruitlessly for the Scroll, finding only rock chunks, Alex looked at Oogway, who was smirking at them. There was nowhere to hide the scroll, though being a rock type, Oogway could likely have hidden it away in the rock somewhere. Glancing around, Alex dismissed that notion. With how much water the cove got, the stone would've eroded. Infact, the only stone that likely wouldn't erode so easily was Oogway's, and that, was when his eyes fell on the turtle's shell. Sure enough, there was a scroll shaped indentation in the rock, though as Alex noticed it, the graceful sea turtle shifted to balancing on a single rocky toe, instead of his fin.

Alex nodded in understanding. Couldn't make it too easy on Po, after all. Alex wondered where the scroll could possibly be, since Oogway's shell was properly smashed now. As Po looked to his Trainer for guidance, Alex looked upward at where his Redwood Barrage had utterly failed, and he smirked. Following his gaze, Po's eyes widened as well. Embedded in the stone making up the cove's ceiling was a scroll container made of finely carved jade, and the end that wasn't buried in stone had the carved head of a dragon on it. From what Alex could see, it seemed to resemble Tao's head. "This is your test, Po." Alex said, once more using his own epic tone. "Retrieve the Dragon Scroll."

Po growled to himself, staring up at the scroll with burning desire in his eyes. "Times like this, I wish I knew Rock Tomb." He murmured, as Oogway moved out of the way, giving Po space to make an attempt for the scroll. First, he tried simply jumping, and then extending that jump with Aerial Ace, which got him pretty high up, but not high enough to reach the stone ceiling. Next, he examined the smooth, weathered stone walls, and found them too hard to Dig through. Trying that would probably ruin the cove too, which he didn't want.

After a solid five minutes of thinking, Po finally had a plan. He yanked on the white fur hanging down from his head and felt his power and focus surge. The only moves that would get him height were Aerial Ace, Acrobatics, and potentially Fire Punch. Aerial Ace let him essentially perform a double jump, but it was too short. Acrobatics was useful, when there was some sort of handhold to cling to, and thanks to Connor's Infernape, Ardor, he could Fire Punch hard enough to propel his relatively light body with the flames.

Looking around, he only had rocks to use, thus, he gathered the larger chunks of Oogway's smashed shell and debris from the lightning bolt, punched the stone walls of the cove, and then securely fitted the stone chunks inside. Slowly but with determination, Po punched and jammed enough stones to reach the top of the cove, at which point Alex gave him an Ether for Acrobatics, as he was running low on power. When he finally felt ready, he Bulked Up his muscles, focused his energy, and then jumped on the lower jutting stones with Aerial Ace. Once he reached those he'd painstakingly embedded in the ceiling, his Acrobatics came in handy.

He swung from one rock piece to another, before finally leaping for the Dragon Scroll. Mid leap, he realized he wasn't close enough, at which point, he held a fist forward. Flame engulfed it, and the fire energy pulled him a little bit further into the air, giving him the final boost to reach the scroll. As he grabbed it, Po cheered, but then lost his composure as it rather easily came loose and sent him hurtling towards the pool below.

He winced as he expected a hard impact, but then Po opened his eyes after a moment, when he felt himself floating, like when his Trainer levitated his ball. Alex had caught him once again and lowered him into the water. Po stood, staring at the scroll in awe. He ran his fingers over the imperial red engraving depicting a very familiar dragon, the same one the jade ends of the scroll case depicted as well. Po looked up at Alex as he approached. "Tao has existed for many eons. I imagine he's traveled all over the world, as it suited him. He's not the only Legend to have done this, either." The elemental birds, while evidently capable of reproducing like Lugia could, also had cultural representations in ancient human cultures all over the world. Also, like Lugia, he had no doubt that those who were proper Guardians were on a level worthy of their Legendary status.

Po looked at Oogway then, and the ancient Carracosta nodded, with a warm smile. "You have recovered the Dragon Scroll. You may read from it, Po. Read it, and become…a Dragon Warrior."

Po's eyes were on fire, and he eagerly examined the case for some sort of opening mechanism. Finally, he tried poking the eye slots, which seemed to do it. The lid popped open and back, revealing the actual scroll inside. Po handed the case to Alex, and then took the scroll, opening it slowly as he held it away from him, expecting some sort of outpouring of draconic power. Then, he looked at it properly. He blinked twice, then looked up at Alex. "It's blank…"

Alex blinked as well. "What? Blank?" Po showed him, and Alex examined both sides. One had Tao as part of a Yin Yang symbol, which was the back side, and the other side was some sort of reflective gold-tinged material that shone in the dim cove.

They both looked at Oogway then, who just smiled at them. "Look harder, young Po." The young bear did as instructed. "Do you know the meaning of the words Kung Fu?" Po thought for a moment, then wisely shook his head. He would've said 'martial arts', but in his heart he knew there was much, much more to kung fu. Oogway continued. "Achievement. Skill. Excellence of Self. One can have strong Kung Fu in cooking, tailoring, Contests, Battles, it does not matter. It applies to all aspects of your life, far beyond combat. It is mastery of oneself, and their dedication to achieving Balance in all they do."

Po stared at his reflection in the scroll. "It's my Kung Fu…" He took in his reflection now, with this new body hardened by a master Trainer, and his powerful Pokémon partners. His kung fu had become strong. He had become strong. He smirked at his reflection. As he accepted that and was about to toss the scroll away, his eyes began to glow with the light of Infinity. He saw myriad paths before him. One, led to him, as an Urshifu, blowing away an entire mountain top with only a single punch. Down another, he saw an entire forest of mighty trees fall to the relentless surging power of his strikes. Yet another path showed him on all fours, using speed and powerful single strikes in the form of punches and kicks, moving more like a tiger than a bear. But the path before him now was different from the others. It was most similar to the Water Scroll's teachings, but it went beyond that, embodying all aspects of life, like kung fu did.

He smiled as he saw his potential future down this path as both a warrior and a teacher and took that step towards the Urshifu he wanted to be. His form grew taller, his muscles grew as well. As the light faded, Alex noted his partner was still very much thicc in the body compared to other Urshifu, but now his well-trained muscles were much more obvious. The fur on and around his knees was folded down, like a Rapid Strike Urshifu, but the pointed tufts of fur on his head were standing up like a Single Strike master and colored an alternating white and black. On his chest fur, was the pattern of what vaguely looked like a dragon's head, outlined in white fur amongst the black fur, and the tuft of hair sticking up from his head was neither pointing up or folded down, but rather splayed into five somewhat serrated looking fur tufts, resembling, at least to Alex's eyes, the frond of a Leaf plant. His smirk widened. This was definitely his Urshifu, and his new fighting and dragon typing promised to be quite powerful.

"A fine Dragon Warrior, indeed." Oogway said, quietly. "Take the scroll with you. It is long past time that I returned to my home, in Eous. It was a pleasure to meet both of you, Alex and Po."

The human and his partner shared a look, and then bowed in perfect sync. Alex spoke, then as he slid the ornate jade case into his bag. "Thank you, for instructing us with your wisdom, Oogway. If you ever need our assistance, you know who to seek out."

The Carracosta gave them a serene nod. "I do." And with that, he walked out of the cove, and then dove into the clear blue waters of Paldea's ocean. The sun was already rising over Paldea and the other regions of Eous.

Alex and Po stood at the same height now, and took in the morning. "Get some rest, Po." Alex said. "We'll be taking today off, since it's Festivus, so enjoy it. Now that you've evolved, you're finally ready for some Ultra Training."

Po arched his brow and in his deeper, but no less awesome voice said, "Ultra Training?"

Alex nodded sagely. "Training that will help you reach the same level as my other partners…and help you ascend beyond it, too. Once you achieve that level…we will begin working with the Light. You'll be able to Purge the Shadow wherever you go."

Po cracked his knuckles, grinning at the idea of facing Shadow infused enemies. His brothers had spoken of facing them in the war, but Po had not yet had the chance to take one on. "I look forward to it." With that, he returned to his ball, and Alex bamfed back to his clone, who was still idly scrolling. He rejoined Alex prime, and then he slipped quietly back into his room. Jess was still sleeping, and she resumed clinging to his larger frame as he rejoined her, and quickly fell asleep. This part of the world still had some hours to go before sunrise, and he slept heavily until it was time to awaken.

Cimitero Di Rossi - Italia Region

Giovanni Rossi looked at the grave that marked his mother's final resting place. The massive Mediterra Mountains, pretty much always in view from anywhere in Italia thanks to their size, surrounded the white stone cemetery, and while the Rossi family owned the cemetery, other people were buried there. They were just not nearly as important, and served only to, in the eyes of the now passed Madame Boss, add to the aesthetic of the cemetery.

The people who mattered, namely the Rossi family and their favored associates, had a large portion of the area devoted to their family tombs. The only people in the area now though, were members of Team Rocket's Italia branch. Italicized red Rs were very prominently displayed on their chests, but aside from that, the Rocket uniforms were the exact same as those seen in Japan with their primarily black color.

Giovanni thought back to the last conversation he'd had with his mother, the night before. She'd been furious. She had been informed of the disaster in Paldea that Giovanni had okayed, and of the number of seasoned Rockets, trained Pokémon Hunters no less, who'd been easily captured by the Dragon Emperor. She'd cussed him out on her deathbed, raspily shrieking about how the family organization was now seen as even more of a joke by the other families in Italia.

A dark smirk formed on Giovanni's classically handsome, older face. There was no eulogy, today. The sun was out, and it was a gorgeous, temperate Festivus Day in Italia. Giovanni finally had what he'd been waiting years to inherit, a bittersweet gift, but a good one. The family business was now completely his. After his fluke of a loss in Kanto, he'd essentially been stripped of his authority by his mother. She'd even tried to take him out of her will, but he had top lawyers from Japan already working to edit the document.

He turned to the assembled high-ranking Rockets and realized that he would have to regain their respect. "Requiescat in pace, Madre…" He said softly in his final goodbye to the woman who'd made him into the Boss he was. He had no intention of ever coming back to this place. Not while he was alive anyway. He put on his classy fedora, red and black like the rest of his outfit, in front of his mother's now sealed grave, and raised a fist. His powerful baritone rang out, loud enough for the 'forces of good' who were undoubtedly spying on them, to hear. "Madame Boss is Dead." He stated, as his smirk became a grin. "Long live Team Rocket!"

The silence that followed his words was longer than he could accept, but then, in perfect unison, the gathered Rockets answered him. "Long live Team Rocket!" Giovanni hid his reaction under the brim of his fedora, and then called in his ride. He was very much violating the many norms and traditions his people considered sacred, but he also had no Muks to give about such trivial nonsense. The gathered Rockets frowned, as his helicopter buzzed the cemetery, and dropped a ladder down to Giovanni.

The Rocket Boss tipped his hat to his underlings, and then the ladder retracted mechanically. He climbed into the helicopter and flew away, back to the Rossi family's headquarters. They had holdings all across Italia, but their main base was a precarious estate that was connected to the region's southernmost coast by an artificial bridge that the family could raise and lower at their discretion. This bridge, and the automated electricity shooting turrets mounted atop the estate, were what kept the Rockets from worrying about the police or the International Ranger Force. Thus, it was the only one of their bases to proudly and obviously fly the italicized capital R that symbolized Team Rocket's branch in Italia.

Once Giovanni disembarked, he shifted his dark grin to the short, somewhat rotund man who'd helped his aged mother keep the organization, and her many stock options, running. It was fair to say the man was running Team Rocket as a whole, but his loyalty was to the Rossi family. "Tonio. I want you to find Fiero (Fee-eh-ro) and bring him out of stasis. Then, bring him out to the practice field, to me."

"Of course, sir. The field has already been cleared, cleaned, and prepared for training. Are there any more of your Mother's edicts we'll be breaking today?"

Giovanni was in too good of a mood to care for the man's snide tone. He, and everyone else in the Italia branch of the organization, were in mourning. Such slights could be forgiven…at least until the mourning period ended. "All of them, Tonio. Our Japan branch once again has full access and start sending over some of the Supremi we've had on standby. Our Japanese comrades are severely outmatched."

Tonio frowned, his narrow eyes narrowing even further as he peered at Giovanni. "Giovanni, sir... The Supremi Project was suspended years ago. The ones who remain will not live much longer, and the others, well…genetic instability from the Shadow either caused their bodies to fail or made them too berserk to control."

Giovanni paused in striding down the poorly lit carpeted hallway and turned to the man. "The berserk ones…bring those down to me as well. I'll break them in on our practice field. See how far gone they are." He continued walking then, leaving the sputtering Tonio to sigh, and then do as ordered. He, at least, knew better than to question the Boss. "And summon the troops down there, as well! We need to have a little…pep rally. Send them down once they've all arrived."

The Rossi estate's training field was massive, despite the relatively little land the estate had to work with. Three League stadium sized fields jutted out from the three lower parts of the sheer cliff sides that gave the estate its vaunted protection. Covered in reinforced opaque glass that could stand up to missiles and Hyper Beams, they also sported plenty of vitamins, and items meant for making a Pokémon as strong as possible, as fast as possible.

Tonio appeared within five minutes, and Giovanni grinned as he saw his first Pokéball. The air around him grew notably hotter as the useful servant came closer and offered him the ball. "Your Charizard, sir." Behind the man, a pair of grunts was wheeling a sealed container, designed to force massive amounts of pressure upon the Pokéballs within. This was the technology used when humankind opted to contain Pokémon who went out of control. The League had useless bleeding-heart practices, like rehabilitation into the wild, but Team Rocket had used them to contain the ultimate example of a Shadow Pokémon. Infused as eggs with Shadow Mewtwo cells, those who hatched became absurdly powerful examples of their species. Unfortunately, Shadow Mewtwo's cells had a tendency to obliterate cells that were not Shadow Mewtwo's, so the Pokémon in question hadn't lived for very long.

In Italia, Team Rocket had used them like living grenades, throwing them at police buildings or public areas, while they robbed their targets, usually banks, blind in the chaos. Eventually, Team Rocket had agreed, after being recognized as an official party within the Italia governmental structure, to cease their use of the Supremi, and to cease creating them. Giovanni hadn't been around for that, however. He'd only seen the brutal opening stages of their testing, and the impression had stuck in his long years all but exiled in Kanto.

He tossed Fiero's ball, and after decades of being restrained, the massive Charizard roared loud enough to vibrate the air upon his release. His tail flame was only briefly orange, before it shifted to blue, with an intense white core at the tail's tip. "Fiero!" Giovanni boomed, causing the proud fire lizard to turn towards him. His eyes turned from angry to a mix of sadness and happiness. He was glad to see his Trainer, but he also saw a lifetime of evil and ambition in his dark, narrow eyes.

Nevertheless, he approached Giovanni, who scratched under his jaw, and locked eyes with his starter Pokémon. "Hello old friend…" The two gently pressed their foreheads together. "My Mother is finally dead. You'll never have to go into stasis that long again. I swear it."

The Charizard spat a white cinder from his toothy maw at the mention of his mother, and her death. This was the reaction Giovanni had seen from most people, and her own Pokémon. With the exception of her Emolga, most people and Pokémon were glad to hear that the Crone had finally expired. "I need your help breaking in some of the Supremi." Giovanni continued. Fiero snarled, eager for a fight. "Good. Bring out the first!" Giovanni ordered.

A mechanical arm with the sealed container moved to grab one of the ornate Dark Balls and pushed it out of the unit and into the free air. Sensing the lack of pressure, the abomination of science within roared free of confinement. It was a Garchomp, but its color was off, a mix of light blue and light purple. It was a contrast with his crimson eyes that briefly flared with a familiar Shadowy tint. The Mewtwo part of its DNA was expressed through its almost comically long tail, that still had the fins of a Garchomp, but the dexterity of a Mewtwo.

The abominable Garchomp locked eyes with Fiero and roared, but Fiero didn't wait. He was a pent-up blur and launched into a brutal Dragon Claw. The Charizard snarled as the Garchomp caught his claw, and the pair entered a brutal back and forth. Giovanni knew that strong as Fiero was, the Shadow infused Supremi would win that contest. "Dragon Toss!" Giovanni ordered.

As the Garchomp countered hard, Fiero ducked, and grabbed its rough skin with a pair of Dragon Claws that sank into its scales with ease. Then, Fiero flapped once into the air, and brought the Garchomp down hard into the earth as he lifted the abomination up and over his head in a fine example of a fighting typed move like Seismic Toss combined with Dragon Claw. The Supremi roared in fury and began digging into the field. Fiero started flying, and Giovanni noted the deep claw marks on his own leathery skin were bleeding. "Dragon Pulse." Giovanni said, knowing his starter would strike when he could.

The Garchomp surfaced, using the Dig to launch itself into flight towards Fiero. A hint of fear or maybe simple wariness appeared in its mad gaze as Fiero's raging sphere of dragon type energy shifted from dark blurple to a sparking crimson, black. In seconds the powerful orb of energy was launched at its target, making contact as the mad Pokémon flew straight into it.

The Garchomp went sailing back hard into the ground and crashed there in a heap as it struggled to keep fighting despite the lack of HP. It gave a pitiful gurgle as Fiero and Giovanni appeared at its impact crater. "Well done, Fiero." The Boss said, scratching his partner's jaw as he eyed the very poorly trained Garchomp.

He jumped into the crater with the Garchomp, and it growled at him, trying to lift its claws to slash him in two, but too weak to do so. "You have been poorly trained." Giovanni said, testing how well the creature understood and comprehended him. "I intend to correct that incompetence." A single claw weakly raised towards him, and then hit the broken ground. The large dragon slid its unusual body towards him and tried to bite at his leg.

Giovanni rolled his narrow eyes and recalled the creature. He slid the Dark Ball back into the vacuum sealed and pressurized container. To the grunts in the room he said, "Have everyone in rows in here by the time I put these somewhere safe." Before he rolled the Supremi away himself. There were five balls in total, including the Garchomp. The other species were Electivire, Rhyperior, Midnight Lycanroc, and a Weavile.

Giovanni brought them to his new office, and sighed as he examined the case. Then, a voice rang out from the quiet office. "What's wrong, Uncle? Feeling guilty for your part in creating those abominations?"

Giovanni smiled as his niece stepped out from the shadows. "Isabella. Look at you, all grown up. And the Champion too, I hear. Finally back from fornicating in Indius, hmm?"

A dangerous look crossed the Italia Champion's lovely features. "I heard a certain Rattata had snuck back into Italia. And lo, here you are. Scheming with the Supremi. As expected of Team Rocket's Boss."

Giovanni simply chuckled, hands in his pockets and ready to summon Fiero if necessary. "Actually, I was thinking of sending them to your little friend in the foothills. I need them cleansed of Shadow, and I don't have time to beat them all into submission daily until their hearts open again. They'll be dead by the time they're cleansed through friendship."

Isabella glared at him. "You need a Light Wielder. If you give them to me, I can make sure the rest of their lives are free of trauma."

Giovanni paused, and then finally nodded. "At least with you, I know where they'll be." His eyes widened then, as she psychically levitated the Supremi from their case, and into the air around her. She seemed to wince a bit as they struggled for freedom, but they stayed shut by the intense red aura surrounding them. Giovanni was impressed, as he knew how much pressure was needed to keep the Dark Balls closed. "Picked up psychic powers in Indius, did you?"

"Galar, actually." Isabella answered. The silence started to drag on for a long moment before Giovanni spoke again.

"Was there something you needed from me, niece?"

Isabella shook her head. "I came to say goodbye to Nonna. And to warn you not to Muk things up. We've finally managed to coexist somewhat with the Rockets in Italia. We don't need you and your…ambitions…throwing a Grookeywrench into our hard work."

Giovanni smirked at her. "That's a very generous 'our', Isabella. I've heard what you've been acting like, as Champion. You should return to doing as you please. It's what our family does best."

Isabella looked like she was about to attack for a moment, when an unexpected calm came over her suddenly. She just shook her head and glared at her uncle. "You've been warned, Rocket Boss. Do not disturb the peace. You won't like what happens to you."

With that, she stormed out of his office, the Supremi still floating around her, as she made her way outside, and then promptly flew away on her Noivern.

Giovanni watched her leave and smirked to himself. Italia's Champion, from what he'd heard, was in Indius more than Italia these days. Which meant his homeland was unprotected. He strode out onto the balcony of his new office, to the sight of a Rocket Rotom Drone, and grinned. Giovanni gripped the railing, his sharp, narrow eyes staring into the Drone Rotom with the camera, while three more appeared showing him the ranks of their organization arrayed in lines on the practice fields.

He took a deep breath, allowing the gravity of the moment to settle in. "Team Rocket," He began, his voice carrying the weight of authority, "for too long, we have played by the rules of a government that neither respects nor understands our true potential."

Murmurs of agreement and nods rippled through the ranks. He continued, his tone growing more impassioned. "We've been content to operate in the shadows, complying with regulations and avoiding the full extent of our power. But I ask you, where has that left us? In a position of subservience, caged by the very laws that we could easily bend to our will."

He paused, letting his words sink in. "The time has come to cast off these shackles. No longer will we be mere pawns in the government's game. We are Team Rocket! Our ambition knows no bounds, and our capabilities far exceed those of the Police or the Rangers."

Giovanni's eyes blazed with determination. "From this day forward, we will enter a new age of conquest and power. We will seize control of this country, bend its institutions to our will, and harness its resources to expand our reach across the globe. We will be the masters, not the servants!"

The grunts erupted into cheers, the fervor spreading like wildfire. Giovanni raised his hand for silence, and they quieted. "Our path will not be easy. There will be resistance, and we will face challenges. The first of these…will be weeding out the weak Trainers among us. As you all no doubt know, our endeavors in Japan were halted by a once in a generation Trainer with genuine skill. But his partners grew strong on the weak Trainers we used in our endeavors. If another 'Red' appears in Italia, we will crush them, before they grow stronger."

His fists clenched the balcony rail, the Rossi family signet ring that signified his position as the Boss, or Don, as they called his contemporaries in Italia, clear on his hand. "To that end, you will pair up, and Battle until you and your teams run out of energy. Then, the Consigliere will sort you by rank. Everyone will have a part to play in this organization, but only the best will be our enforcers, and reap the rewards that come with that honor." He raised a hand then, and shouted, "Begin!"

As he watched his more competent grunts get to work, Giovanni looked out over the vista, taking in Italia's natural splendor, and Nuovo Napoli shining in the distance. He grinned. It was good to be home.

Sahqoreyth · Jun 27, 2024

Chapter 55: Odyssey of Ascendance, Part 4

The Dragonspiral Tower - Unova Region

"So, you see…peace, is a Lie. There has always been what we Humans call War. The strong always prey upon the weak, and any breaks from that slaughter are temporary." Proditor said to the pair of impressionable Padawans. He was still disguised as one of them, and so far, had not been discovered. He'd left his Shadow infused teammates behind for this mission but had caught a new member he'd dubbed Balmut. He was a rather large and foul-tempered Hippopotas that he'd encountered on his path from Castelia City to the Dragonspiral Tower. By the time he'd arrived at the tower, Balmut had become a mighty Hippowdon that had yet to be beaten by Unova's road Trainers.

"That…doesn't sound like the Dragon's teachings…" The less promising Padawan murmured. She was a young teen, a redhead with pale skin and freckles. She was also annoyingly close to the most promising candidate Proditor had found so far, who now responded to her.

"It's part of Balance, Allie." The dark haired and dark eyed teen, Damon, replied. "There's periods of calm and periods of conflict. But the conflict always comes back. War is as inevitable as peace...but you're right, that doesn't mean peace is a lie." He met Proditor's gaze evenly. "Peace is worth striving for. Worth protecting. Worth keeping for as long as possible, for as many Humans and Pokémon as possible." Allie nodded at him, and Proditor had to resist rolling his eyes. He recognized the spark in her gaze, even if Damon seemingly missed it.

Proditor nodded his normal looking head in agreement. "My point," He growled, "Is that pretending 'peace' will never end, is nonsense." He looked to be a bit older than the pair, but there was no age limit on who could train as a Scale. Thus far, he'd been preoccupied with not giving away his nature during the strenuous training the Padawans were put through by Champion Hilbert. He was seemingly as chill as the Dragon Emperor, until it was time to train.

At that moment, one of their peers turned up the television in the common room they were chilling in. "…has been confirmed in all seven Kingdoms of Eous. The Thunder Warrior Legions have officially stopped their centuries long slaughter on their border with Eous. That's right folks, the Imperium and the Kingdoms of Eous are once again in a tentative peace. Just in time for Festivus."

Proditor and the others were watching now, along with the rest of the Padawans. "And who do we have to thank for this Festivus miracle, Rachel?" Her male co-host asked.

"Apparently, our very own Dragon Emperor, believe it or not. It seems he and Champion Jiyoshi of Indius are pretty good friends after that match they had. According to our sources, the two worked together to orchestrate the peace. Champion Jiyoshi contacted the Kingdoms, while it was Emperor Redwood who apparently had a face to face with the Imperator and convinced him to stand down. I…wait, one moment, folks…" Rachel said, holding her earpiece.

Her co-host picked up her dead air. "Apparently Mr. Redwood heard you, Rachel, because he's offering to join us on set. As in right now. Somebody grab a chair!" He shouted to the staff.

"He's not actually…" Proditor said in disbelief, before he realized he was speaking aloud. Nobody said anything, but there were a few smirks in response to his words. Sure enough, within a few minutes Alexander Redwood was sitting very casually in a hastily acquired chair.

"Ari. Rachel. Thanks for letting me on with such short notice." He started, smiling genuinely as he used his calm baritone.

Ari chuckled, but Rachel was in reporter mode. "It's a pleasure, Emperor Redwood. Any time you want to, erm, I believe 'bamf' is the term, to our set, feel free to do so." She crossed her fingers together then, and Alex seemed content to let her keep going. "We've been reporting on your exploits all month. I'm sure you know, but almost all of the houses you've created, by hand, have been brought to modern standards of comfort."

Alex gave a chill nod with a small smile. "Good. Very good. It looks like everyone will have a home this Festivus, and there's peace in our time." He let out a deep breath and seemed to relax and slump a bit. "My Granduncle said something like this wouldn't be possible. I'm glad we were able to prove him wrong."

Ari nodded then, chiming in. "I'm sure the late Professor Redwood would be proud, sir. What you've done for this nation is comparable to what your predecessor, the first Dragon Emperor achieved in his time."

Alex shrugged. "Most of what we are building was either already there, or used to be, millennia ago. I'm just fulfilling what I was taught were the basics a government should provide to its people." He sat a little straighter then, and his cloak was smoothed out by his stupidly large hands beneath it. "Housing is one such thing. Food, is another."

Rachel chimed in then, incredulity in her voice. "What? Don't tell me now that you're going to feed the whole Empire!"

Alex chuckled, though it was a bit awkward. "Well…yes, but also no. I'm going bigger." His trademark smirk appeared, as he took in the anchor's reactions. "See, I've been talking with leaders the world over, Tao and I, that is, and the plan is to feed everyone. For free. I haven't gotten word about the Imperium yet, but Japan, Rio, Galar, and the entirety of the Dragon Empire are all on board, last I checked."

She still looked incredulous, which made Alex chuckle. "How exactly are you going to feed half the planet, or more, for free!?"

Alex leaned forward now, clearly interested in telling her, her audience, and eventually the world. "Honestly the credit has to go to the group of Blueberry Academy graduates who created the Item Printer. My brother and his team collaborated with them once they got the idea to use Infinity Energy and Pokémon materials to create...pretty much anything, from items to food. The machines we'll be mass producing will, as I understand it, be capable of creating any food menu item, from a low number of almost any Pokémon material, and or berries. But there is one that we can synthesize with solely Infinity Energy. We're calling them Dragon Burgers. Plant based. Rather delicious. Capable of feeding the hungry, any time, anywhere there's a machine. For the low, low price of Nothing." Alex didn't brag often, but on this one, literally feeding the entire Earth, he was going to. A little.

The two reporters/newscasters shared a look. Ari spoke then, "That's…I mean…you do realize what this will do to the food industry right? An industry your family is a part of, no?"

Rachel chimed in as well. "You could…probably generate infinite money from this kind of invention, so why wouldn't you?" She seemed more confused, than anything.

Alex held up a hand, while Proditor and the others just watched, mostly in disbelief. He could tell from the Padawan's thoughts that he wasn't the only one who understood what the end of resource scarcity meant.

"The food industry will simply have to shift to something else. Berry farming, becoming a Pokémon sanctuary, it's up to them. They will adapt as the housing industry has, with our help every step of the way to reduce panic. Either way, our current methods of food production were finite. There's a limited amount of people we can feed with the current system. We were running out of land, and the land will only produce for so many years before it needs a few to recover. The new system will feed everyone. Forever. I'm sure there will be people who prefer 'authentic' cuisine, and that's their choice to spend their currency on. But for the families with hungry kids that don't have currency in obscene amounts, this will change their entire lives. It will also severely cut down on the number of Pokémon being hunted for food." Alex paused, only to take in more air, as he turned to Rachel, and answered her.

"I probably could make enough money to control everything, forever, with this kind of invention, you're right, but that's the primary difference between me, and the 'rich elites', Rachel." He said with literal air quotes, "Money is not my God. Greed is not my creed. I refuse to kneel at the root of all evil, the exact same way every single other Human leader has done for almost four hundred thousand years now, since we let them impose the yoke of Currency around our necks! Instead, I am choosing freedom, and life, for my people. I will tear this root out completely. I will give the people solid homes and free them from worrying about hunger ever again. That, is worth more than all the currency in existence, to me."

He turned towards the main camera broadcasting them live. "For those of you in the food industry, or invested in it, I need you to do me, and the Empire, a favor, and remain calm. The Empire has instituted hopefully temporary pricing limits on every other sector while we prepare to roll these machines out, to prevent anyone from giving in to their greed while we adjust to the radical changes that will no doubt come with such a large change. You should all be aware though..." He paused, letting it grow, as he delivered the real news. As big as eliminating hunger was, far, far more people, depressingly, cared about money. The idea of putting something with imaginary value over the value of human beings was simply asinine, to him. "The long-term goal of the Dragon Empire and every single one of our allies, is to remove the use of currency entirely. Hoarding it and getting stressed out about it is not necessary."

Alex stood up then, and the two newscasters shared another look, but didn't throw off their Emperor's groove. "We are entering a new age on this planet. Our technology has increased to the point where the impossible has come within our reach, and we can finally rid ourselves of all the horrors that currency has inflicted on our species. It was once a necessary evil. No longer. We are going to build a utopia the likes of which has only been dreamed about in science fiction, until now. There will be challenges, there will be those determined to keep the status quo and the illusion of privilege their currency gives them, and they will try to sabotage these changes. There will be attempts to kill me, and those who help me bring about this change. But we will overcome them. I came here today to promise my people, and the Human race, that by the time I and your leaders are through, not one of you will have to struggle to survive ever again. We will shift our focus to inventing, creating, and building upon what we have laid down now, so that those who inherit our hard work will have nowhere to go but up. And I do mean that literally." He smirked, and then sat back down, looking between the two shocked newscasters.

Ari just looked lost, as he tried to picture the kind of world that was about to exist, and the problems that would come with it. Thankfully, his co-caster remembered she was still live on the air. "That's…quite a declaration. But I imagine being able to feed one's family will be quite appealing to a lot of people."

Alex nodded in agreement. "Those struggling to live, will have more to spend elsewhere. And those with far, far too much excess currency will be able to spend it on food as they always have, by getting far too much and throwing away over seventy percent of it."

Rachel smirked at him. "I see someone saw my report on the Gladstone family's leftovers from their Festivus party."

Alex nodded. "Though, in my experience as their neighbor, those leftovers usually make meals for like, two weeks. Or longer. It's not exactly sitting in a trash bin. But I can confirm your report did spur my future mother-in-law to give a significant amount of it to those in our town who had…less impressive holiday dinners."

Rachel just shook her head, at which point Ari chimed in. "You mentioned that our descendants will have nowhere to go but up…literally…do you mean…?"

Alex nodded. "I can confirm that we do have a functional space craft. Last I checked everything is made, we're just welding it all together. You'll know when our new space program launches. It's going to be quite a sight."

Ari sat up a little straighter. "Space program? And a ship? Please tell me it has a name."

Alex chuckled. "Well, I actually found the skeleton of a prototype space-capable ship in the Arcean Church's Sacrean bunker. We moved it to Unova and have since improved upon and brought the original designs to life. Though, uhm…the designs aren't exactly… 'original' themselves." He continued chuckling.

"What do you mean?" The man asked, brow furrowing.

"They were calling it the Enterprise, and the original shape of the craft was…pretty much what you'd expect from Star Trek or Poké Trek. I like to think we've made the Enterprise into a proper ship, by this point. One that Chaan Luc Pikard would be proud of." Alex's smirk broke down then as he laughed again, and the other two joined him, slightly less enthusiastically. They were still subtly processing the imminent collapse of the food industry, and apparently currency in general.

Eventually, Rachel looked up at something behind Alex, probably some sort of light signal showing they were out of time, and said, "Well that's our time for tonight, folks. Dragon Emperor. You've certainly left us with a lot to ponder tonight. I agree with you though...if these machines can do what you say, the time has come to move on from currency. Thank you for joining us."

Alex nodded, still as chill as ever. "Thank you for having me. I'm going to be much more…accessible, now. So, if there's ever anything of pressing concern you wish to speak to me directly about, just let the Tower know, and I'll make time for it. That offer extends to the other news networks as well."

The newscasters did their boilerplate outro then, but when they looked back at Alex's chair, he was gone. Back in the Dragonspiral Tower, word was spreading like mad. Proditor listened in carefully to the hushed conversations, willing to risk discovery if it meant gaining an idea of how the Scales viewed their leader and his actions.

Many assumed there was some kind of ploy here for him to grab more power with, but the counters to those arguments, namely that it was, from what the now publicly available machine designs showed, a device controlled both by a Rotom and a larger connected system, would prevent any one person from controlling it beyond its programming, which was to exchange Pokémon materials for food.

Not twenty minutes after the announcement, another murmur went through the Tower, as the Empire revealed they had machines capable of producing items, any items, from the same kinds of materials as well. Lumber, concrete, even gold. These machines were more complex, and thus would be given out slower to those the Empire trusted not to abuse them. With the oncoming machines was also a guide, by the new Professor Redwood, explaining how to safely gather Pokémon materials from over nine hundred species without significantly impacting their health.

Proditor, for his part, was rapidly reconsidering his plans to convert one of the young Scales to his cause. Redwood reminded him far too much of Galar's first Hero King, and the rumor was that he was only growing stronger. Apparently, he'd been sighted in multiple places at once, which meant he had either mastered or created a technique that allowed clones of himself to persist and get things done. With that kind of coverage, stealing some of his Padawans would likely draw him directly to Proditor, and his pawns in Subterra.

Proditor could also clone himself, but without an intact Mind Plate, and weapons for his clones, Redwood would likely outmatch him. He also had not tried it since reviving. Perhaps as an undead Shadow being, he couldn't create clones anymore.

Either way, his instinct told him to avoid Redwood until he had a more solid power base. He needed a region with modern technology, and a burgeoning but as yet untapped psychic population. He called up his ghost-cased Phone Rotom, and examined the modern regions of the world. Galar was firmly under the influence of it's League Chairman, Leon, who was famous for not losing battles. Kalos was part of the Dragon Empire, and their psychics were probably already being trained. Paldea seemed to be controlled by a pantheon of powerful and morally sound Trainers, but then he found Italia.

Their Champion did as she pleased and was quite strong, psychically, but often away. The government of Italia was, from what he could tell, a conduit for its people, but the real power in the region was controlled by the so called Five Families, each of which infamously had an evil team's worth of people at their beck and call. They also seemed to control most if not all of the important positions in the government. In short, it was the ideal place to hide, as Redwood's influence didn't seem to reach there. Yet.

With his course decided, Proditor prepared to abandon his efforts in the Original Dragon's lair. Far above him, in the small forest that had now grown at the top of the Dragonspiral Tower's terrace that had played host to Legendary battles and meetings of Governors, General Hilbert looked down upon the man who was, as far as he could tell, pretending to be something he wasn't.

"We should confront him, Tao." Hilbert said, calmly, and not for the first time.

Tao's massive white head and black throat filled his peripheral vision. His calming baritone thundered in Hilbert's skull in answer. "You could. But it will not change much."

Hilbert whirled on the Dragon of Unova, his usually chill demeanor eroded with the knowledge he'd had of this threat to his students for several days now. "And why not!? He may well be who Alex is looking for! We should at least question him."

Tao rumbled in his lengthy throat, and Hilbert watched quietly, as he knew the dragon was using his power. "The future is...clouded by Shadow. There is more of it gathering than ever before, and the Traitor is the focal point. Only Alex or Arthur could slay him as he is now. It is as though...something is pulling more Shadow Energy to our planet..."

"Well, I'm tired of waiting. I'm not just going to let the man who started the Dark Times walk out of here. Not without testing his skill for myself." Hilbert declared, before flying after the man, who was walking at a quick pace away from the restored tower.

Tao was smirking, but only for a moment. His halves had chosen their Tamers well. It was Hilbert's nature to seek out the truth of the situation, and Tao was okay with that. His actions would not disrupt their future's path, that much, he could see.

Hilbert tailed the man, who seemed to be traveling on foot for the moment, until he was into the wilds between Icirrus City, and the rest of civilization. An ideal place for a battle, and one that many Trainers met in, while traveling. Especially in modern times, since the Original Dragon returned. "Oi!" Hilbert shouted, as he stepped out from the trees. The plain faced man, still in the Gi of his students, stopped abruptly, his eyes widening as they took in who was approaching him. "Before you leave…Successor…I demand a Battle."

Proditor processed the man's words, and chuckled, as he looked downward. "I had a feeling the Dragon sensed my presence."

"From the moment your foul essence darkened our door." Hilbert answered. "But he isn't going to attack you while Alex isn't here. And so far, as far as we know anyways, you have not actively striven to break the laws of our civilization. You've sought out your partners and been a good Trainer to them. It is because of this, that Tao has decided against eradicating you. For now."

A smile cracked the man's face, and as it did, the facade faded away, revealing the dark robed form Proditor typically wore, since his revival. "Tao…so he did actually nickname the Original Dragon." Proditor chuckled, and then met Hilbert's eyes. "I am amenable to non-hostile relations. I can abide by the laws the majority of the world follows, as well. I am not unreasonable." His attractive face's smirk widened almost unnaturally then. "But I'm guessing you want a Battle, before you're sure you can just let me walk away."

Hilbert's eyes narrowed. "Of course. I know you've only got one partner right now, so we'll make this one on one. No items." He raised a plain, very old looking Pokéball then, and Proditor brought out his comparatively newer and much more modern Ultra Ball. They threw at the same time, and a majestic Serperior, Caesar, appeared alongside a rather large Hippowdon, who went by Balmut. Hilbert's face tightened, as he realized that the Hippowdon was not the same level as when he'd last seen it. Before it was just strong enough to be able to endure Hyper Training. Now, it had to be, in terms of level, in the eighties or nineties. Caesar saw this as well, and his fronds extended and sharpened. Neither had expected an actual challenge, handicapped as the Successor was by not using a Shadow infusion.

Balmut, for his part, had been the lucky receptacle for the rather large amount of Exp. Candy that Proditor had stolen from his fellow Padawans. He'd wanted the foul-tempered earth hippo to be strong enough for whatever they faced on the road, but he had not foreseen a Champion battling them. He could tell the Serperior was at the height of its power, too, all but guaranteeing they would lose. Unless they were clever.

There was a brief, tense silence before Proditor shouted, "Dig, Balmut!"

"Razor Leaf."

Balmut was under the ground as sharp leaves filled the air, but Hilbert and Caesar had a plan. They were taking no chances against a Trainer like the Successor. The sharp leaves remained whirling about the space, and the ground gave away nothing in terms of Balmut's location. Despite their size and mass, Hippowdon could move with ease through the ground thanks to how their bodies worked.

"Fire Fang." Proditor said, after a moment. Within seconds, the ground rumbled all over the area, and a massive form broke the surface, wreathed in flames as the Hippowdon's mighty jaw tried to make contact with the regal grass snake.

"Frenzy Plant." Hilbert countered. From where each of the Razor Leaves had landed, massive vines erupted rapidly from the earth, surrounding the fiery earth hippo, and then arcing directly towards his massive body. Having natural instincts for battle, Balmut shifted his attack from Caesar, to said vines, chomping through them with his massive teeth, and spinning within his place in the earth, making a sandy fire tornado briefly.

The vines stopped momentarily, but he was still caged by the massive, unnaturally thick growths. Then, Hilbert spoke again. "Finish it." Pushing through his oncoming exhaustion from using his most powerful move, Caesar urged the frenzied plants to strike again, and they did so. Balmut tried biting through them again, but this time, he simply wasn't fast enough.

Proditor grimaced, as he figured his partner was down, but then realized, he wasn't. They weren't done yet. "Earthquake!" He shouted, knowing that it would be impossible to dodge at such close range. The ground under Caesar shattered, and tired as he was, he found himself buried by the powerful stones. Proditor knew there was no way he was unconscious yet, though, and followed up on his attack. "Use Earth Power to bury it in magma!"

Hilbert frowned. Earth Power's damage was typically calculated from how hard the exploding ground struck its opponents. Very rarely, could Pokémon using it summon actual lava alongside the move, but Balmut seemed to have no issue about creating such a large hole in the planet's crust for a battle. The General winced as the earth beneath his stunned Serperior exploded, but he was quick to counter, as the magma began to bubble up from the gaping wound in the planet. "Scenario Terra."

Caesar nodded, and used his own power to dig into the shattered earth, away from the forming lava pool. Then, there was a bright flash of green energy, and the entire area shook as the same vines from Frenzy Plant appeared again, spearing through the broken chunks of earth from the Earthquake to form massive, writhing vine-based shish kebabs of stone. They rose above Balmut, and then began ferociously hammering him into the ground, which was slowly caving in from the destruction the battle was creating. Once at the bottom of the new depression, more vines erupted from all around it, entangling the mighty earth hippo and fainting it.

Proditor sensed his partner faint and sighed. "That's about what I expected, from a Champion's starter. Did you learn what you wanted, General Hilbert?" He asked, as his tone turned to one of mockery.

Without another word to him, Hilbert raised a green shard, mega evolved his Serperior, and then had it fly off on its Mega Form's leafy wings. As Hilbert left and Proditor watched him go, he felt Shahir contact him through their team's mental web. "We have found them. One is potentially sleeping beneath Twist Mountain. The other is in Paldea. His armor resides somewhere within Mesagoza." Proditor grinned, as he fed his Hippowdon a Max Revive. Shellraiser, Shahir, Rapax, and Toraigon were all part of his original team. Immanis, his Scolipede, was still alive, and Blues, his Ceruledge, could likely be coaxed into possessing his armor once more. That only left Optimus to find, with Balmut, Mordred, and Morgana's Grendel filling out the rest of his team. He knew Malum had no intention of returning to him, as the Malamar was more focused on his own schemes since his Trainer had died. Proditor intended to retrieve him anyway.

Losing only two of his original ten permanently was quite lucky, and he knew once Balmut reached the peak of his power and embraced the Shadow, he'd be as monstrous as his predecessor, who'd also gone by the same name.

Within a few hours, Proditor had reached Twist Mountain, and given that it wasn't Scolipede's usual habitat, Proditor figured his poisonous megapede was likely hibernating deep under the mountain. Ice types liked to make the upper levels their home, but further down one could find Heatmor and their prey, Durant.

Proditor used the Durant tunnels and his malleable body to move deeper into the mountain. The further he went into the earth, the more unique the minerals composing the mountain became. There was a power to them that he did not recognize, but he continued on.

This deep into the planet's crust, the main species he found were Carbink, but eventually, he followed his psychic bond to his ancient partner to a large cavern. Even with all he'd seen in his long life, Proditor found himself in awe. A massive crystalline tree filled the center of the cavern, and all around the area he saw strangely glowing plants. Herbs of some kind, as he looked closer at them. He gathered large amounts of each color, before he approached the head of the gargantuan Scolipede that was hibernating around the base of the tree.

Judging by the cavern, Proditor assumed the mystical herbs and the power of the tree had somehow kept his partner alive over the long millennia. He'd been quite surprised when he learned Immanis was still around, after being revived. Looking around, Proditor eventually saw the crystalline green and purple sphere he'd used to contain the violent megapede in ages past.

With one more of his handmade crystals intact and in his possession once again, Proditor called his partner's name. "Immanis!"

Like a magic word opening a doorway, the massive Scolipede's titanic yellow eyeballs snapped open, and looked around. They narrowed, as they saw their stash of delicious herbs had been pilfered. Slowly, the Titan Scolipede rolled onto its four legs, and looked around, remembering the noise. A familiar noise. A noise it knew came from a human and had some meaning to them. Its thoughts were still fuzzy. They had been ever since he'd first eaten the herbs and they had cleansed his shadowed mind. Finally, the titan found the human, and its sleepy eyes widened.

Proditor grinned up at his little Venipede, just glad he was still alive. Somehow, the Shadow had left him, which had no doubt contributed to his massive increase in size, lifespan, and level. Eventually, Proditor figured out what must have cleansed his partner. "It's me, Immanis. It's Cassius. I have the rest of the team, too. Mostly." Slowly, the fog of memory cleared after eons of running on instinct, and genuine happiness at seeing his human, and his brothers, took over.

Proditor summoned the rest of the team, then, and before their Shadow infusions could cause them to attack each other, the only sound they respected filled their ears. "My friends! We find ourselves in a new, modern age. One where the convenient healing devices can detect Shadow Infusions. Some of you have already been cleansed, but most of you have not. And since I will need you as we travel, for now, I am going to free you of the Shadow."

Shellraiser's thick blue brows crashed together, but the Blastoise did not otherwise react. He disliked losing the power the Shadow gave, but if it meant he could be used in combat, he would gladly go without. For now. Balmut seemed ambivalent, and was eyeing the massive Scolipede, clearly itching to test his might against a Titan. Grendel, who had been retrieved by Morgana after his failure to defeat Arthur, Lancelus, and the other Gallade, and then passed to Proditor's care when she was crushed to death, seemed to have the same reaction as Shellraiser, but seemed obedient.

"Toraigon and Rapax will remain infused. Cleansing you would be pointless, as your levels are already at their max, so if the Muk hits the Fan Rotom, you two will be the ones on deck to handle it. If you get captured, do not worry. I will retrieve you. Now come. It's long past time that we all enjoyed a meal together."

Being in the Dragon Empire, he had access to their typical food, which seemed to be burgers, tubular shaped meat referred to as 'hot dogs' and other things that one could grill on the portable camping set that modern Trainers used to feed their teams. He learned that quite a few ingredients simply did not keep well in his infinite void Shadow storage, but he did manage to pull together a passable amount of food. He'd used a herb of every color from his stash on the burgers, which had seemed to agitate Immanis, but the Scolipede calmed once he got some of the food.

Proditor watched his team and their status carefully as they ate his culinary creation and nodded as he saw the Shadow fade from them. Then, he saw their stats start to increase. The bored-looking Rotom in his phone woke up as tracking their sudden and rapid shift back to homeostasis took a lot of computing power. By the time the numbers stopped rising, every single member who'd been infused had grown by at least three feet. They had become prime examples of their species, ancient paragons of the power that Pokémon could grow to wield. Proditor grinned. Not one of Italia's five families would be able to stand against him, with a team like this. And the International Rangers and the local Policia wouldn't flag him for having Shadow infusions either.

As they finished, Shahir spoke to him, mentally. "Blues should be here. And Optimus. I would like a meal where we can all enjoy and benefit from those herbs."

Proditor nodded in agreement. "They might actually somehow make Rapax and Toraigon stronger. Once we find Blues and Optimus, we'll eat a proper feast together, Shahir, worry not."

Then, Shahir said something in his booming mental voice that made Proditor flinch. "How are you feeling, after the meal?" The raised human looked down at his body, and noted his aura was much more subdued. His cloak and garments seemed normal, not flaring with fiery waves of evil.

Proditor shrugged. "Amazing, actually…but I can tell the Shadow's influence has waned. For now, I will keep it this way. Back into your spheres, my friends. First, we will retrieve Malum and Blues, and then, onto our next target. The Italia Region."

Some Time Later… - Naranuva Academy, Paldea Region

Festivus had come and gone without Cassius Proditor even noticing. He'd retrieved Malum on Festivus Eve and made the Kalos Police look like absolute fools as he did so, thanks to Shahir's portals. He had only able to find one of Morgana's partners, Morgrem, when he'd done the same thing in Rio, but the Morgrem was apparently the only one they hadn't managed to cleanse, for some reason. To Proditor, it was like the Shadow was somehow imbued into his energy network, and not just his body and mind. His status said he was clean after the meal, but Proditor sensed it within his energy network, just waiting to burst out. He hoped that wouldn't get them caught, and opted to keep the Grimmsnarl contained, for now. Very quickly, any trail he might have left went cold before the Scales even heard about the incidents, thanks to Shahir. A day later, a new policy that included at least one Scale for each Shadow Pokémon was implemented across the Empire's prisons, with the goal of rehabilitation and release, or adding said Pokémon to someone's team. Many of those used by the Crusaders were popular battling species, so finding them a willing Trainer wouldn't be difficult, and many people were desperate for a quick and easy powerhouse to add to their team before the World Tournament's rankings solidified into the final thirty-two.

From Kalos, Proditor had gone on foot to Paldea, arriving at Naranuva Academy in the final hours of Festivus Day. He disguised himself as a generic looking returning ten-year-old in a standard outfit that blended orange and purple. They were two colors that should've really never been put together, but oddly enough, the color scheme kind of worked. Once inside the academy, Proditor had no trouble finding suits of long faded Ceruledge lining the storied halls. The trick was finding his Ceruledge.

It took all night, and thankfully, not too long after the sun rose, there was some sort of loud building shaking distraction that kept everyone busy, while Proditor scoured every single ancient nook and cranny of the massive, ancient school in his tiny disguise, and carefully examined each faded Ceruledge he found for the telltale marks on his armor that Proditor had inscribed himself. Distracted as everyone working at the academy seemed to be, not one person noticed him.

Eventually, he did find his Ceruledge's armor, in the deepest, dankest corner of the academy, in levels so old and low scientists had no idea what they'd actually once been used for. Blue's aged form crumbled when he touched it, all save for the unique band he'd created in the past to bind the shards of defeated Polteageists together. He still sensed his partner though, and then realized why. His friend had reincarnated, and somewhat recently, too. He almost decided to just find another Charcadet, but he knew how Shahir and the others would react and resigned himself to the new spark. He would no longer be Blues, he'd have a new flame and a new name, but at his core, he'd still be their brother.

With unnatural speed from jumping from shadow to shadow, Proditor headed out of Mesagoza's eastern gate, and quickly came upon his target. He was sprinting, at full speed, towards Mesagoza, eyes locked on the giant academy's Pokéball in the distance. "Oi!" Proditor shouted, causing the Charcadet to stop sprinting. Its eyes narrowed, and it fired a large Ember at him. Proditor's form swirled and shifted back to his usual appearance, and he psychically dissipated the attack with a snap of his fingers. The Charcadet's eyes widened as it charged forward again, then saw his face. Proditor knelt down, meeting his fierce eyes as the tiny burning warrior slowed, and stopped. "Do you know who I am?" He asked quietly.

The Charcadet shook his head. From what Proditor sensed, he was eager, desperate even, to find his younger brother. A Trainer had captured him earlier in the day, and the Charcadet wasn't going to just let him vanish. He was too precious and special to belong to some human who already had plenty of partners. "But I look familiar to you." Proditor continued. Slowly, the Charcadet nodded. "You and I were friends, in another life. When you wore the armor of a Ceruledge." The Charcadet's eyes widened, and it nodded. It seemed to remember something of its previous incarnation, at least. It had to, given how long Blue's flame had to have burned for, before capitulating to entropy, and the cycle of life. "I can get you that armor again."

The Charcadet seemed to pause, and then shook his head. He needed to find his brother. Proditor sighed, as in all likelihood, his brother was long gone. Paldean Trainers had a tendency to hop regions thanks to their robust transfer programs and universal credit system. He'd learned a lot when scouring the school's computers, which was where he found a detailed guide to every known set of faded Ceruledge armor that lined the school's halls. "I will help you search for your brother. But when we don't find him, come and train with me. You'll have a much easier time searching for him once you evolve. I can help you do that." He offered the night-colored crystalline sphere that seemed to glow with a ghostly fire from within. The Charcadet stared at it, then back at Proditor. It was unnerving how familiar he and this sphere were. But he did want to enter it. He nodded his head, entered the capture sphere, and it pulsed, as it cemented its occupant.

"You need a name, my friend." Proditor said, as the Charcadet was brought out again. "In your last life you chose the name of a heroic figure, known for his shield, and sometimes his sword. You were able to turn your dominant arm into both. This time…we will call you Sparda, and you will be a force akin to a Demon in Battle. The greatest Dark Knight to ever live." He smirked at the reference only he was ancient enough to appreciate, but the Charcadet mulled the name over in his head, and then nodded. He liked it.

South Province, Area Three - Paldea Region

Alex hopped off of Shruikan, as they reached their destination. He'd left home, and Jess, just after his interview, and their parents had, predictably, been furious. Every single one of the younger Redwoods had congratulated him and Eric though, for the younger brother had not escaped his father's wrath either. The fact that these paradigm shifting machines that eradicated his business and devalued his precious currency had been created right next to his house had set him off, and the old man had not been calm when Alex decided to bounce. His mother wasn't thrilled about using Pokémon materials instead of currency, as she erroneously believed them to be dirty creatures, but she at least understood the obvious good that her sons had managed to create. Alex assured her that Tao was also on board, and for her, that had been enough. Her being proud of him was all Alex had really wanted from his parents by this point. His father, as far as he cared, could go pound Palossand. His whinging would be exactly as effective against the changes that were coming, and despite his furious protests, Alex had assured his mother, and Jessica's, that they'd both have a proper unchecked Item Printer, once they were able to safely create materials, as well as food.

For obvious reasons, he and Tao had not distributed machines the world over that could spawn the components for, say, explosives, from Infinity Energy. But the Food Replicators were managed by a Rotom, and were safe and easy to use. They also couldn't be hacked to create anything other than food, as unlike the Item Printers, they lacked an infinitesimal shard of a Plate of every type. He looked out over Area Three of the southern Paldean province and breathed in the fresh air, glad to be back. Marinette and Adrien were still at her parent's place apparently, but he was in no rush to cut her vacation short. With how fast and how far she'd advanced with her partner in justice, they had earned a break.

Aside from intending to catch a Beldum, the Charcadet line had also caught his eye. He knew Arthur would want to train with a Ceruledge, and while Jess had tried to hide it from him, he'd noted her new partner, Rouge. The name was a bit on the nose, but it suited her flame's color perfectly. As he thought of Arthur, his Gallade appeared beside him, smirking at his expression of surprise. "Gwen is with Jess now, and things are…calmer…back home. Nothing Erek and my staff can't handle. So. Here I am. Ready to become a World Champion…if you guys will still have me."

Alex smirked at his Gallade. "I don't know, lads, should we take him back? Canis, thoughts?" As expected, his Lucario leapt forth from his ball with a snarl at his older brother.

"If you want my spot, Your Highness, you will have to claim it." His aura burned to life around him, covering him in fighting energy.

Arthur just sighed, in almost the exact same way his Trainer did. "So, it's like that, then."

"It is." Alex said, looking between them. Two clones of himself split off, and stood by his fighting types, who'd now locked eyes. "This will be good practice against myself…and a lesson, for both of you. Come. Up on that…large, flat mountain in the distance. That should be remote enough not to catch anyone in your Battle."

After a moment to translocate, both Canis and Arthur Teleported to the spot with their clones. After a short session training with Alex, the aura hound had easily grasped the basics of Teleport, not too surprising, given how many psychic moves he could, and had, learned. Moments later, loud clashes began thundering from atop the peak, but Alex prime focused back on his goal. He shot into the air, and began scanning the red rock canyons, so very similar to the Majestic Canyon back in the Empire, for the telltale red flame of a Charcadet.

After about an hour of soaring around, and surprising quite a lot of ground bound Trainers in Naranuva Academy uniforms, he found one with the right nature. A naturally adamant Ceruledge would, he assumed, become as powerful as a naturally adamant Gallade had. Plenty of Gallade loved fighting, but Alex was convinced it was Arthur's nature that had caused him to train tirelessly, hard enough to propel him to the level of the Victory League's Elite Four, and a mint just wasn't going to be able to, in his opinion, fundamentally change a Pokémon enough to be that driven. His Lucario, for example, had eaten a Modest Mint, and yet his personality still remained mild, most of the time his stats may have reflected that nature, but his personality had not changed. Arthur was always able to get him riled up. The proud aura hound did not like how skewed their personal win to loss ratio was.

Alex landed by the Charcadet, who seemed to be struggling to reach a berry. He built up an ember, but it went astray, probably thanks in no small part to his special moves being hot garbage. "Hello there!" Alex said, as he landed behind the tiny fire warrior.

The Charcadet's eyes went wide, and it meeped, before whirling on him, eyes aflame. Alex held out a juicy Figy Berry, and the young Pokémon's eyes went wide, as drool ran from his mouth, dousing his Ember. He was rather hungry, and Alex had his favorite berry dangling before him. He set it down, and the Charcadet looked up at him. "Go ahead." Alex said. "It's all yours, if you'll talk to me, for a bit. Don't worry, I can understand your words."

"Thank you…" He hissed in his fiery voice, before he dug into the meal, grunting softly as the perfect Figy taste rolled over his fiery little tongue. His head flame burned hotter, turning blue around the edges, and Alex smirked. That, was a sure sign that a Charcadet was rather powerful, or ready for evolution. Given how young this guy seemed, he guessed it was a sign of latent power, as yet untapped since he probably didn't have a physical fire move yet.

"I'm putting a team together." Alex started. "We're aiming to be World Champions. The strongest Battlers in the entire world." He gestured to the world around him, and the Charcadet chewed slower, as he realized he understood the human perfectly. Like he understood other Pokémon. "I'd like a Ceruledge on my team, if you're willing to join me. I can make you very strong. The strongest in the world."

The Charcadet looked at him, and then chuckled. "Heh. You're serious." He let out a hum as he swallowed more Figy deliciousness. "I am already strong, Human. How much stronger could you really make me?"

Alex chuckled. He had to admire that disgusting amount of confidence in a Pokémon so young. "Blaze." He said, and the leader of his fire types appeared in a flash of red. He leaned down, as Alex tossed him a large Wiki Berry. He had long since increased his own personal berry farms, and now his clones could tend, gather, and re-plant them whenever they were ready. His stores had quickly grown into the hundreds, though he hadn't grown one of each type to such numbers yet. Figy and Wiki berries were the ones he wanted to max out first, since a rather large number of his partners were naturally adamant or modest or had varying attack or special attack typed natures. Many of them were so defense heavy naturally that he didn't need to raise it further. Blaze eyed the Charcadet, and then looked at Alex as he munched, and swallowed. "Really? This one?"

Alex nodded, and smirked. Despite knowing better, his Charizard still sometimes judged by size. Especially fire types. He smacked his lizard lips, and then locked eyes with the Charcadet. He didn't roar, but a low growl filled the entire area, as the acoustics worked to his Charizard's favor. His tail flame surged, to blue, and then to a white so bright it hurt to look at. Alex immediately started sweating with the rapid rise in temperature. Some Charizard had naturally blue tail flames, but they also tended to set their surroundings on fire quite often. If they were trained, they often ended up staying in their ball or the PC, where their flames wouldn't light anything up. Blaze had long since learned that trick, and mastered how hot he could get going at all times. He could maintain the brilliant white flames for well over an hour.

"What makes you think you can join us, little soldier?" He taunted from his superior height. The longer the brilliant flame burned, the more it seemed to hurt or somehow bother the Charcadet.

Fire leapt back into the little one's eyes, despite how uncomfortable he was finding the Charizard's heat, he stood his ground. He was fire. He would not be cowed by it. "I'm more than good enough for your team." He said flatly, "Although…I have to admit…you are both strong. I can tell." He looked down for a moment, finished off his berry, and then nodded. "Alright." He said, looking at Alex. "Make me as strong as the lizard, and I will fight for you."

Blaze's eyes narrowed, and perhaps because his tail was going so hot, he struck before he even realized he'd formed the Dragon Pulse. It boomed loudly through the canyons, exploding nearly point blank on the Charcadet, and fainted it instantly. "Blaze!" Alex shouted, glaring at him.

"Dragon." He snarled, and only once the semi-conscious whelp had let out a pained acknowledgement, did he return to his ball with a prideful snort. Alex fed the small, fainted fire warrior a Max Revive, and just like that, almost miraculously, an injury that would've likely taken days to completely recover from in the wild became a memory, like it had never happened. Most wild Pokémon knew humans had miraculous healing items, but the young Charcadet had now experienced them firsthand. He could tell it was some sort of potent berry mixed with…something human-made probably, but it definitely worked. He was also glad the Charizard had been holding back. He'd had Pokémon try to eat him before, and he had no illusions that, if the desire to end his life had been there, Blaze could've literally blown him off the face of the earth.

Alex offered him a blurpleish Luxury Ball, but the Charcadet paused. He knew how to enter it; he'd seen enough Pokémon get captured in this area right next to the human's largest nest. "My brother…I should probably tell him where I'm going." Alex nodded, and pressed the ball to him, and while it shook a bit, it eventually dinged. He opened it again, then, and the Charcadet popped back out without really getting to experience the interior of his new home.

"We can leave him a message at the place you two rest. Lead me there. Then, we really do have to get going…but the walk will give us time for a nickname." Alex said, letting the Charcadet lead. "What do you see yourself as, once you evolve?"

The Charcadet pondered. He did sometimes have…strange dreams. Dreams that he was a powerful Ceruledge, one who could change his swords into a shield, and even a very very long sword not unlike a lance, if he pushed his limits. He closed his eyes as they walked, picturing it. "A…a knight. A powerful, dual wielding warrior."

Alex made a 'hmm' noise as they walked, and eventually reached what seemed to be the Pokémon's nest. He set to work leaving a message of flame and scorching that only a Charcadet would be able to fully understand. For his part, Alex was going through his mental list of popular, dual wielding knights that used two swords, and while his nerd brain did immediately settle on one, it was a bit too obvious, though as he went through the list of actual dual wielders, he realized it was actually pitifully short. For Jedi and for Sith. "How about…Tano?"

The Charcadet's flame lessened, and his eyes seemed…disappointed. "I don't know…"

"Okay…" Alex said, sighing. There really was only one logical choice, he just hoped he wasn't dooming his little fiery friend to a hard life by giving him the name. "There is one legendary, powerful warrior in particular famous for wielding dual swords. A master of both the Light and the Dark." The Charcadet's eyes widened, and his flame burned back to what Alex determined was excitement, maybe. "His name was Revan."

The small fire warrior literally shuddered, and then nodded eagerly, as the flame on his head surged. "Oh, I like that one. Rrrevan. Revan. Yes. I shall live up to that name!" He declared, looking up at his new Trainer.

Alex chuckled. Arthur had certainly, and literally, lived up to his. He just hoped this Revan had an easier time of things than his namesake. "Alright, Revan. We'll get some Polteageist shards once I'm done at the Academy." He said, pointing at the massive building visible in the distance. "Then you should evolve once you have your armor…and after that, you'll be ready to train." He gave the small fiery warrior some more Figy berries, and then recalled him, chuckling. Most people these days weren't old enough to have played the Knights of the Old Republic, a game based on the ancient history of the Pokémon Wars Saga, so the name wouldn't be too immediately obvious, except to fellow nerds. With Revan secure and sated, he leapt into the air and hurtled towards the peak that Canis and Arthur were apparently waiting for him to join them on.

As he landed, Canis barked at him, "Finally! We need to Mega Evolve, to settle this!"

"Hold on, Canis." Arthur said, much more calmly. He seemed to have mastered the art of perpetual chill, like his Trainer, and then, Alex realized, Gwen had probably had something to do with that. Arthur had always spent his considerable fighting type endurance on training, but there were other outlets. Alex didn't psychically pry into the details, though, mostly because, ew, but also because he knew his Gallade had been as courteous and honorable as he always was. There were, as his granduncle had often said while inebriated, 'some mysteries of Pokémon best left unanswered'. Alex was more…proud? His little Ralts was officially all grown up. He seemed to have finally taken a rest, too, once Albion was safe. His mind seemed calmer, and less intensely driven and focused on achieving power. He wasn't out of shape by any means, he'd just devoted his time to something other than constant training for a while and seemed to be living his best life. Alex was glad he was back, though. Sensing what he wanted, he called out Revan, who looked up at his new human, and then took in Canis and Arthur.

His eyes widened as he looked between them, though his burning orbs of adoration were inevitably drawn to the Gallade's sword arms, which were ready for battle. "Revan, right?" Arthur said, kneeling down and smirking. "You're about as tall as I was when I met Alex. Stronger, though. I'm Arthur. That's Canis. We'll likely be the ones teaching you the finer points of our style."

The Charcadet's eyes widened, and he looked between all three of them. "You have a style of combat!?"

Canis nodded, taking over. As impressed as Revan was with Arthur and his Excalibur, the aura hound was a more obvious example of a top-level battler. Revan had seen Lucario around before, but those scavenging mutts had been nothing like Canis. He stood tall, proud, fierce, and Revan knew he was probably a very powerful warrior. Arthur was too, but he seemed…better at hiding it? The Charcadet knew who had more experience battling, just by looking, but in terms of age, the Lucario seemed older. Or that was the vibe he got from their new, strange psychic mental link, anyway.

"The Dragon Style." Canis growled. "You will learn it as well, and you will be as fierce as the rest of us."

Arthur winked at him, and Alex smirked. "There's a few…other styles I've been expanding and attempting to master, in my recent free time. I'll show you those, too, once you have your swords. For now…watch and learn, little brother."

Alex chuckled as the eager Charcadet decided that his broad shoulder and height would be the ideal spot to watch from, and once he was comfortable, Alex nodded at the pair. They'd already started, of course, but they'd found their base forms too equal to properly let loose. And Alex prime had all the Plates. Doing some training of his own, Alex levitated two of his rarely used spare Plates to his clones, as Arthur and Canis took their spots again. Activating just two at a time wasn't too difficult, though he had to reach out to the Plates one at a time, once he had, he could activate them simultaneously, but only if he channeled the energy of his bodily network through the clones, and into them. That energy had a much shorter range, before it was just overpowered by the flow of psychic typed energy. It wasn't dragon type, so he assumed it must be normal type energy, or Spiral Power, as his granduncle had called it.

Canis and Arthur were close enough for it to reach them, and resonate with their own bodily networks, propelling both of them to their Mega Forms. Revan's eyes somehow got even wider. "Can…I do that too?" He murmured to Alex, and Alex just smirked. El Primero had famously made good use of Mega Ceruledge since using Plates for Mega Evolution had become a thing. He'd even combined it with Terastallization once, but that had made the Mega Form harder to sustain. As open as the Leagues were to giving Trainers free reign with their battle power ups, they limited it to one at a time in matches, for the safety of the Pokémon. Combining them was only for dire situations, and presumably only the strongest Pokémon, like El Primero's Ceruledge, would be able to maintain it long enough to matter in a battle.

As Canis and Arthur's psychic auras met and began sparking in the air between them, they disappeared in simultaneous flashes, and Revan squinted, only barely following them when Arthur made contact with the steel type. Alex shared his vision, glanced at Revan, who was still looking forward, then focused back on the fight. His psychic gaze could keep up with them, and he noted they hadn't actually used many moves yet. Canis had his aura bone out, but Arthur was simply holding a charged Sacred Sword, and blocking it. He wasn't even wasting Sacred Sword's power to do so. Not with every hit, at least.

Frustrated with his lack of damage, Canis's claws became wreathed in ghost energy that dissipated his aura weapon. Arthur simply raised his Shadow Punches, and kept blocking, but the Mega Lucario did not let up. Alex frowned, as he knew Canis should be aware of Arthur's plan, but he just kept using Shadow Claw. It was at least damaging Arthur this time. A little.

Canis tightened up his attacks, spinning and swirling into them, and using the claws on his feet as well, but Arthur easily did the same thing, and Alex was glad to see he'd been able to perfect Shadow Kick. That was the kind of technique one could make a TM out of. And he wasn't even a ghost type. Furious at how well the Gallade manipulated energy, Canis launched away from their clash of kicks, and then spread his arms wide. Alex winced, as he burned through Shadow Ball's power to conjure multiple spheres at once, dense, as always, but small and fast. They hurtled towards Arthur as Canis, all in the space of five seconds, followed with a massive Shadow Ball that consumed the rest of his power. He was spending his ghost move's energy far too fast, but Arthur was about to show him that. "Watch closely, Revan." Alex murmured, guiding their combined gaze. Time seemed to slow, for them. "This is the difference between level, and experience."

Arthur was moving at about the average jogger's pace to their eyes, even in this slowed view of reality. He danced past the Shadow Ball barrage easily, dropped and rolled under the massive one, and then twisted his malleable body into a crouch, right before Canis, and under his guard. Alex sighed, as his aura hound reacted too slowly. By the time his eyes locked onto Arthur's new position, the King of Albion was already rising like a phoenix, flames effortlessly covering his sword fist as he struck upwards, and let the flames carry him past Canis as he delivered a burning uppercut to his jaw. Canis hadn't taken too much damage so far, but he had taken enough for Fire Punch to knock him out. It didn't help that Arthur also hammered a weak point.

Alex recalled the aura hound to his ball, and fed him a Max Revive, as Arthur walked over, still perpetually calm. "You've gotten better." Alex said, approvingly.

Arthur inclined his head. "It wasn't all fun and frolicking in Albion. C'mon. We should get moving."

Alex nodded, recalled the two backs to their balls, and then flew towards Naranuva Academy in the distance.

(For this next part, events will be happening concurrently with what Proditor has been up to.)

Mesagoza - Paldea Region

Alex and Khan strode up the infamous staircase to the Naranuva Academy, with the bulky Torracat from Eous getting looks as they did so. Festivus Day had been a good break, but Khan preferred traveling with his team, training, eating together, and relaxing, like they had just done in one of Mesagoza's park areas. He did like some of his so-called sisters, but they'd been shy around the horde of new male faces, and he hadn't spoken to them much during Festivus. He stuck close to his Trainer, and mrowled as he noted that, once on the school's grounds past the gate, the students around them had immediately noticed their presence. They didn't seem hostile, yet, but Khan was cautious by nature, around this many unfamiliar humans.

"It's alright, Khan." His Trainer said, as they approached the ancient mahogany doors, one engraved with grapes, and the other with an orange, just like the pillars by the gate had been. "I think someone mentioned we'd be visiting. You might want to stay in your ball, for this. It'll probably get loud." Khan nodded, more than content to return to his absurdly comfortable pocket plane. He vanished in a flash of black-limned crimson right as Alex entered the academy's foyer. He stared in shock at the decorations. Everything that had once been evenly split between scarlet and violet, was now black and white. Even the floors, which made Alex suspect a powerful psychic had altered them.

Banners with the Dragon Empire's symbol, Tao's symbol, the Taijitu sphere embodying Balance, hung from the balconies leading up to the higher floors of the school's main entrance. Then, he took in the crowd. After endeavoring to get to know his fanbase more, he realized he had two large centers of fans. Those in Unova, who were typically older, had battled him once or twice before he became a Hero of Unova, and those in the expanding global network of schools that connected many States in the Empire, Japan, Galar, Italia, Indius, Rio, and of course, Paldea. Being arguably the oldest academy on the planet, it was Paldea who had begun this global endeavor at solid, fact-based education on everything from Pokémon battling to science, higher mathematics, and the other core subjects that most employers looked for in qualified workers. It was in this interconnected grouping of youngsters that the majority of his fans seemed to reside, though there was no limit on who could enroll based on age in Paldea, he was led to understand that many of the underclassmen were fans of how he battled. Most of the older students were fans of El Primero, who had a much, much larger majority among the student population compared to Alex's.

Alex actually spied El Primero in the crowd, briefly, as they shouted their greeting to him. He forced a smirk on his face and waved awkwardly. Seeing his true skill with crowds, Director Clavell came to his aid. Age had caused his famously impressive posture to stoop and require a cane, but the fiery passion in his eyes had not dimmed to the advancing of his mortal coil. "Emperor Redwood. Welcome. Your Empress said you would visit, and since then, many of our students have been…eager to greet you. I understand you wish to take our Terastal Course, for a Tera Orb, correct?"

Alex nodded, focusing on the old man's friendly eyes as he composed himself. "Aye. Though I could be persuaded to answer a question or two, if that's what the kiddos want."

It seemed he'd spoken just loud enough for them to hear him, because many of them simultaneously shouted 'YES!' as soon as the words left his mouth. Clavell smiled at him. "My very next request was to have you do so. Excellent. Because you're a no doubt busy World Leader, we've decided to expedite your test, as we did with your better half. In light of your status as a Champion, if you agree to face one of the Paldea League's Elite Four, we will grant you a Tera Orb, provided you can safely control it during the Battle."

"Can I pick who I'm facing?" Alex asked, hopefully.

"Obviously not." Came a raspy but feminine voice. Its owner was a rather lovely woman, though she dressed more like a businessman, her outfit was sharper than most men who wore outfits similar to hers, and frankly, she wore it better. He recognized her as Rika of the Paldea League's Elite Four, and wondered if the ancient academy would be able to withstand a clash between two fairly well-known ground type users. Rika smirked at him. "I know that look. But alas, I am not your opponent today. When we discussed who you'd face, our resident Dragon Master very loudly insisted that he be the one to test the 'so-called Dragon Emperor'." She said, using air quotes and a deep mocking voice, seemingly quoting Hassel directly. "He's waiting up in the school's yard, if you'll follow me."

Alex would've picked Hassel anyways, were the choice left to him. The head of the Drachenfel Dragon Masters who resided in Germania had been among those who reportedly did not care for him, though not because of policy or anything like that. By claiming the title of Dragon Emperor, the clan claimed he had somehow stolen it from the first Dragon Emperor's lineage, and he was a man who many Draconid clans claimed blood ties to. They considered Alex an unworthy usurper, as his own lineage was not, by their account, tied to the Harmonia line in any measurable way, and in their culture, only the Harmonia line was worthy of holding that title, and wielding Tao's power. Rika handed him a Tera Orb as they entered the school's elevator, and Alex inhaled sharply as a brand-new kind of energy made contact with his essence.

"Since you were the one to figure out Plates and how to use their shards for Mega Evolution, I'm sure you can figure out how to reach out to a Tera Orb." Rika said, watching him with sharp, but interested eyes.

"It's…this power is…" Alex trailed off, as he gazed into the orb. He felt his vision swirl, as a pair of eyes met his through the crystal and brought him to their owner. He was somewhere sunny and comfortable, on what looked like a beach though as Alex found himself looking at what he knew to be Terapagos, the fur covered crystal turtle met his eyes, and then lifted a paw in friendly greeting. Alex smirked, murmured, "Hello there…" and then pocketed the Tera Orb.

Rika just stared, a smirk covering her countenance as well. "You just saw him, didn't you." Alex nodded. "Fascinating…we theorized they were directly connected to Terapagos, but you basically just confirmed that…did he seem to know what was going on?" She asked, as the elevator dinged.

Alex shrugged. "I think he can guess. He didn't seem averse to me using his power, though." Rika just nodded, and strode out onto the yard, hands in her pockets. Alex followed; eyes wide as he realized just how large the academy school yard was. The stands hidden below the track were already raised, and there was an entrance through them that Rika was leading him to.

She stopped before it and gestured. "Good luck, Redwood. You're going to need it. I haven't seen Hassel this fired up in a long time."

Alex thanked her, and then ducked as he made his way through the opening that was not made for people with his height. He stood and covered his eyes as he emerged right into the glare of the sun from outside the school yard, to the sound of many excited cheers. They were rather high up above Mesagoza, and it was just about noon, by Alex's guess, as he emerged. He looked around, and headed to what he assumed was his side of the field. Then, he turned and faced his opponent.

Hassel Drachenfel stood in the opposing Trainer box, arms crossed, his large, intense golden eyes glaring his way. His blonde hair was now more of a platinum blonde, thanks to age and gray hairs, and his teaching outfit now incorporated a proper emerald green cape that signified his status as a Dragon Master, and the head of his clan. Alex nodded to himself, as even across the battlefield, he could tell the man possessed a fire capable of taming dragon types. It was just like the aura he'd felt from the elder and his people when he'd gotten Maromnis from the Draconid clan residing in the Oath Woods. "USURPER!" Hassel suddenly shouted, quieting the crowd of mostly students with his voice as they heard how serious it was. To many, this was the first time they'd seen their gentle, good natured art teacher so…fierce. He raised an Ultra Ball at Alex. "Today…I redeem the Clans! And all those that have accepted your usurpation without issue, despite your unworthiness! When I'm done with you, you'll be leaving without a Tera Orb and without that stolen title that belongs to MY people!"

Alex heard the crowd murmuring, somewhat concerned. Apparently, their teacher wasn't usually like this. Many had seemed to think this would be a standard friendly contest between two Trainers with a surplus of dragons at their command. But it was clear to all that the old man was furious. Alex stood tall, draped in the leathery black cloak of Alduin's flesh that served as his own proof of Dragon Mastery. His Voice reached all of them, as he calmly responded. "I have earned the title of Dragon Emperor. I passed the Trial of Eight Paths, and I do actually have Draconid blood in my veins, though I admit I never met my great great grandmother to ask her about its source. I accept your terms, Hassel Drachenfel! For a Tera Orb and the title of Dragon Emperor…let us Battle! Six on six, World Tournament rules." As he said that, a Drone Rotom appeared, and displayed their stats. As expected, Hassel was also in the Ultra Class, quite a bit higher up than Alex was in fact, and he made no objection to making this a World Tournament match.

Hassel threw his ball then, shouting, "Archon! Dragon Pulse this Usurper! Blow him away!" Alex's eyes widened, as he threw his own pick. Kalagon emerged on the field, much higher level after the training to elevate his attack power. A clone of Alex was, at that very moment, helping the special attackers raise their own stats on Casseroya Lake, but Kalagon was ready. He should have evolved by now after Earthquaking so many Bisharp and Pawniard, but Alex had a feeling the large Gabite needed the right push to reach his final form. Archon would be that push.

Alex knew of the Archaludon, who was famously regarded as a sacred and ancient dragon type among the Draconid clans. He had, according to their legends, served the first Dragon Emperor, and all those who came after, passed down from descendant to descendant. At some point, the Drachenfel clan had claimed him in Germania, and in Germania he had stayed for quite some time now. The ancient steel titan regarded his opponents for a moment, and then gathered the swirling blurple energy required for a Dragon Pulse. It wasn't condensed, but it did take the form of a draconic head, signifying Archon's mastery of the move, as it hurtled towards Kalagon in the space of seconds.

"Dig!" Alex ordered, but Kalagon just snorted. Alex raised an eyebrow as his partner raised a claw, for a Dragon Claw. Then, that claw started to shine with a familiar light, and Alex understood what he was doing. The claw came down on the Dragon Pulse, dispersing its energy, which then swirled up and around Kalagon as he roared, and used the painful but powerful dragon energy to ascend to his final form. Apparently, all he'd been waiting for was a worthy opponent. The entire school seemed to shake with his roar as the light faded, and the massive Garchomp announced his presence in the world. "You alright, Kal?" Alex asked, as the evolution faded. Sometimes, Garchomp could go a little berserk after evolving. His eyes were on fire, and he was breathing heavily as new and powerful hormones flooded his brain and body, but he nodded at his Trainer, and then dove into the earth, as ordered.

Archon's defense rose sharply as Hassel ordered it to improve its defenses with more iron, but it only blunted the attack that Kalagon delivered as he leapt from the earth with another roar. The damage was still significant, but Archon was nowhere near done, and his defenses rose another stage after the attack, as a blue aura surged up around him. Up close, Kalagon realized just how ancient his opponent truly was. "Blow the runt away!" Hassel shouted, and another Dragon Pulse formed to do just that. Archon didn't show it physically, but his ancient eyes were just as angry as his Trainer's.

"Dodge, Kalagon! Then Brick Break! It can't turn easily, attack from its blind spot!" Alex ordered, but the land shark heard him from across the field. He glided through the air easily to the unwieldy bridge dragon's blind spot, but Archon kept powering the Dragon Pulse regardless. The Brick Break landed, but like Dig, only made its defense rise to a combined total of four stages, now. The damage was significant but lessened by quite a lot at this point. The Dragon Pulse fired, and arced behind Archon in the air as the ancient Pokémon effortlessly controlled the trajectory of his attack. "Get out of there, Kalagon! Back to me!"

Kalagon was already in the ground, as he sensed what his Trainer intended. The Dragon Pulse exploded uselessly as its size was too thick to enter the hole left by Dig. Usually, it was a bad idea to Mega Evolve a freshly evolved dragon type, especially the likes of Garchomp and Salamence, but against an Archaludon with Stamina as its ability, it was very necessary. As Kalagon popped up by his Trainer, panting but still largely unharmed, the slightly damaged bridge dragon prepared another, larger, Dragon Pulse as Hassel's command.

Alex spoke into Kalagon's mind, and his calming Words helped the fresh Garchomp focus. "Peace, Kalagon. You will have a moment to unleash your rage in this Battle. Save it, for now. Archon will eventually counter you, but all we need you to do is weaken it enough for Shruikan to finish." Kalagon wanted to finish the titanic Archon himself, but Alex knew his dodging ability would, eventually, lose to the ancient special attacker's uncanny aim. Still, he was a sucker for his partners. "You really want to finish him, huh?" Alex asked, and he saw the Garchomp grin with malice. He wanted the strength beating such a strong dragon would give him, and Alex nodded. "Alright. We can certainly try. In that case…" He verbalized his next words for all to hear, "Dragon Dance!"

Kalagon raised his fins parallel to each other, and then vigorously brought them down in a vertical motion. Draconic energy surged around the field, and Archon's eyes narrowed, as it watched the stationary Garchomp. Kalagon shifted into a stance not unlike the Dragon Style's then, one fin raised, one fin low, with his center in between them. His legs were similarly simultaneously raised and lowered. He swirled gracefully then and struck the empty air with his left fin. His body shifted, as he struck with the right, and then he brought them both down in a diagonal slash. Power surged around him, and he roared, as Archon finally fired the Dragon Pulse. It had shifted to a deep crimson coloring, once more taking on the form of a roaring draconic head and wings that, at this level of power, reminded Alex very much of Tao's countenance.

"Into the air! Outrun it, and then come around its blind spot!" Alex shouted, as he subtly materialized the armor on his right fist, keeping it hidden under his cloak for now. The Draco Plate fused to the dragonbone began to resonate. Kalagon proved just a hair faster than the drake-seeking pulse that seemed to have a mind of its own, as it was determined to strike its target.

Time slowed for Kalagon and his Trainer, as he came around Archon's rather large blind spot. "Dragon Ace!" Alex called the move, and despite not being on the ground, Kalagon found that flight, and the ridiculous speed it gave him, actually made using his draconic version of Aerial Ace much easier. As he built up the power, his body grew, as Alex raised his Salamence headed fist. Dragon energy surged again as Kalagon struck with his Mega Form's rather damaging scythes, with a critical strike that made Archon's eyes widen in pain, even through four tiers of raised defense.

Unfortunately for Kalagon, Archon had also critically struck, and his violent Dragon Pulse rocked the younger dragon with the power of ages, sending him hurtling into the energy barriers of the field. He hit the ground hard, but was still conscious, as once more his iron will to battle, fueled by his evolution mostly, kept him on the edge of consciousness. He roared at Archon as the massive dragon became limned in fighting energy, prepared to smash him with five tiers of raised defense, but then Kalagon vanished, as Alex recalled him. The ball struggled in his grip, but Alex growled at it. "Calm down. You need a Potion to keep going, and right now, Shruikan can take Archon, and most of Hassel's team. Patience, Kalagon. You're not done yet." The catchphrase seemed to placate his shark dragon, but unfortunately for Shruikan, he would not be able to Mega Evolve while Kalagon retained his power. That was fine though, as the proud Salamence was more than okay with being the first to wield Terapagos's power.

A white and black flash brought out the black Salamence, and Archon whirled as he heard the powerful roar of a worthy rival. The draconic ace of the first Dragon Emperor stared down the draconic ace of the current one, and the energy around the field shifted from dragon, to electric. Archon let out a deep, rumbling snarl through its metallic body, one that Shruikan answered in kind. Alex didn't interpret it as words, but he grasped its meaning. Alex knew Shruikan was not amused with how the Drachenfel clan saw them, and it was disappointing that Archon apparently felt the same way they did. Electricity began to spark over both of them, and their respective auras electrified the field as well, as they clashed in the field's center. The air became heavy as the two top level dragons prepared for combat, and Alex noted Hassel applying his single Potion for the battle cheekily as this occurred. Alex sighed but knew it wouldn't matter. Archon was up five stages of physical defense. His species' special defense was infamously terrible. All that power came at a price. In terms of numbers his special defenses may well have been in the low two hundreds, a rather high number thanks to Archon's level, but Shruikan's attack power was now probably double that, as last Alex had checked after their training by Fury Falls, he was sitting at a terrifying, but unsurprising, four hundred and twenty attack power. In his base form. Because of how Plasma Bomb worked, it would make full use of that strength. That massive attack power came at a cost to speed and other stats, but Shruikan wasn't worried. His vitamin rich diet and his training made up for that loss as much as they could.

Hassel and Alex had the same idea, as both men raised their Tera Orbs. Alex genuinely didn't know what type Shruikan would retain, dragon or electric, but he was willing to bet on electric. Shruikan had always been good at commanding storms, but since whatever he'd gone through in his kind's secret homeland, lightning had answered him easier than before, and he'd gained a few new tricks from it. The first was Plasma Bomb, which was a special attack that used his attack power for its damage, provided it was fired correctly at a high enough speed. The second only happened when he was hit by electric attacks, and Alex knew Hassel wouldn't resist the chance for a Tera powered Charge Shot.

Terastal energy emanated from the thrown Tera Orbs, and it coalesced around both dragon types, as they became the singular type they were at their core. A crystalline shield of aura covered both of them, and a lightbulb containing the lightning bolt symbol of electric types appeared over both of them, before it shattered, and empowered their crystalline shields with electric yellow colored energy. Large tendrils of burning plasma sparked over their respective forms. Alex just stared, grinning, as he saw the 'new' form of Terastallizing. According to his granduncle, the Terastal phenomenon had once caused large, goofy looking crystalline crowns to appear over the Pokémon who wielded that power. However, in the years since a certain Champion of Champions had caught, Tamed, and empowered the Terapagos responsible for Paldea's unique battle phenomenon, it had changed to the current form. The power boost Terastallizing gave had apparently increased, and the silly looking crowns were gone. Alex considered that a win, as he'd seen videos of the old form of Terastallization, and always found those old battles comical to watch.

Any Pokémon would have issues moving around and fighting with such an obnoxiously large piece of headwear, but Shruikan would not suffer from the air drag a massive lightbulb would have undoubtedly caused. Alex let Hassel go first and avoided calling his move at the same time as the elderly Dragon Master. "Electro Shot! Blow them away!"

Alex and Shruikan just smirked, as they knew what came next. "Into the air, Shruikan. Make him work for it." Alex wanted him moving around, slightly weakening Archon's attack. He had faith in Shruikan's trick but taking a full power electric Terastal typed Archaludon's Charge Shot head on seemed like a bad idea, with how high its base power was, and how old their opponent seemed to be. Seconds later, the Electro Shot fired like a railgun, as the electrified terrain had the same effect on the move as rain did. Alex called their counter, then. "Tutaminis!"

Hassel's eyes widened along with his partners, as they watched Shruikan's mastery over his typing in action. He barrel rolled around the Electro Shot, and with great concentration and focus, redirected its energy to coalesce in his mouth. Thunder boomed, as he countered hard, and sent the gathered special attack right back at its source with the same amount of power. Archon immediately recognized the technique, and while he was also capable of it, the force and speed with which Shruikan countered didn't give him nearly enough time to calm his mind and tighten his focus enough to once more redirect the energy. The twice empowered electric attack, at that point more comparable to an electric typed Tera Blast, smashed into Archon, and he growled in irritation, as the overload of electric energy left him paralyzed.

He closed his eyes, as Hassel shouted commands at him, for once ignoring the Dragon Master. Shruikan capitalized on the moment, as he recognized that Archon was preparing to break the paralysis with a surge of his own energy, like most electric types could. Alex called the move, as the rather quick black Salamence hurtled towards Archon. "Earthquake!" The only sign of the move to regular human eyes was the telltale black blur hitting the ground, and of course, the rising wave of solid earth that slammed heavily into Archon, with super effective damage that was nullified by five stages of raised defense. Despite those stats being boosted to a full six, it looked like the Earthquake might finish him.

As Hassel saw his strongest dragon's vitality rapidly draining, he shouted, "Use Rest!" And the titanic bridge dragon stayed conscious, but asleep, as his vitality, in terms of bars and numbers, returned to full.

Alex's eyes narrowed in annoyance, along with Shruikan's. "Dragon Pulse until you're tired. Then finish it with Draco Meteor!" Shruikan moved like the lightning he was encased in, hammering Archon with a Dragon Pulse, and then a line of four of them in a row on his next pass. That, had enough power to knock his sturdy, titanic frame over, but he stayed asleep despite Hassel's calls trying to wake him early. Shruikan wasted no time and fired off the Draco Meteor. His special attack power would be too low to be useful now, but he probably wouldn't need it against the rest of Hassel's team. The purplish-blue sphere of energy went high in the sky, then exploded into multiple energy missiles, all locked onto Archon. They landed with force akin to bombs, one after the other, each one shaking the field, and the school, as they hammered their target.

Shruikan landed, mouth open, wings raised and charged another Dragon Pulse within his sparking maw in case Archon was still up, but as the dust cleared, it was obvious that the titanic dragon bridge had been unable to awaken before he'd taken enough damage to faint. Shruikan fired off the Dragon Pulse anyway, making it explode in the air, as he put a claw atop Archon's fainted form, and roared at the crowd. There was a pause, and then, the students went wild. Shruikan looked quite pleased with himself as he basked in the cheers, and he jumped and glided back to his spot, as Hassel recalled his team's strongest powerhouse. Alex was just glad they'd brought it down before it was able to use Body Press. If it had woken up after that Earthquake, he was fairly certain six stages of defense would've made the fighting move a single hit KO.

Enhanced and Terastallized as he was, Shruikan easily swept the next four members of Hassel's team. His Noivern had simply stood no chance against the Terastal empowered Plasma Bomb that had hammered it. His Haxorus had blocked one Dragon Claw, but after a Dragon Dance, the next one OHKO'd him. His Dragalge had put up more of a fight with its varied move pool and access to poison techniques. It was able to Thunderbolt Shruikan's Plasma Bombs before they landed, and getting close with Dragon Claw was a bad idea. Dragon Pulse and Sludge Bomb kept Shruikan on his claws, but he did eventually close to strike with Dragon Claw, at which point he took a Sludge Bomb to the face and was poisoned. He'd knocked Dragalge out though, leaving him weakened against Hassel's Dragonite.

In a masterful display, Shruikan, despite being poisoned, managed to hammer the thicc dragon with multiple Plasma Bombs. It kept using Extremespeed or Dragon Rush to drive Shruikan to the ground, whereupon it attempted to land Earthquake and Stone Edge. Shruikan was well aware of how to dodge Earthquake, and while a Stone Edge did connect at point blank range, it came at the cost of Dragonite taking a Dragon Claw directly to its chest and fainting from the sheer power the black Salamence had reached. Shruikan was utterly spent as the mighty dragon knight finally went down, still poisoned, and on his last legs in terms of health. Thus, Alex switched him out.

Hassel had grown quiet after Archon was beaten, but his stern, aged face betrayed nothing, and he battled with the ferocity one would expect of a Dragon Master. The fire in his fierce eyes never dimmed, despite watching his team of dragons getting defeated by only one of Alex's. Alex recalled Shruikan as the Dragonite fell and smirked at his ball. "You were masterful, Shruikan. I hope that was a good workout." He felt the ball shake, as his dragon affirmed that it had been. Had Shruikan not been at the peak of his power and speed, Hassel's team would've been quite difficult. As it was, Shruikan barely had any power left for his moves, and Elixirs and Ethers weren't allowed in matches following World Tournament rules.

He brought out Kalagon again, as Hassel retrieved his last ball, and frowned at his choice. He knew he had no chance of beating Redwood at this point, but Alex could tell he had no intention of him and his ace losing to a freshly evolved Mega Garchomp. His mistake was in assuming Kalagon was as weak as a fresh Garchomp. His level had risen quite high, before he'd finally been able to evolve. His muscles were well defined, too. He was slimmer than the females of his species, but the hard hours he'd put into strengthening his body showed now that he was an adult.

"You have a quadruple weakness. Dodge Stance." Alex informed Kalagon. The Mega Garchomp simply tensed up, as Hassel's Baxcalibur, probably the strongest known living example of the species, took the field. It was similarly intimidating in presence, like Archon had been, and the air got colder as it opened its eyes and glared at Kalagon. Alex wasn't having any of that, though, and he took the initiative. "Sandstorm! Keep your distance, stay hidden, and smash it with Earthquake!"

"Snowstorm!" Hassel countered, "Find it, and use Icicle Crash! No mercy!" As the snow and sand competed for dominance over the field, Alex had to watch the Drone Rotom. Their screens allowed viewers to see the combatant's body heat through field effects, and Alex intended to make use of the nearby floating screen. He saw Hassel try to do the same, but it seemed age had afflicted his vision, as he squinted at the screen through the sand and snow and frowned. Hassel was essentially blind now, which was good. Now all they had to do was take down that monster of an ice dragon before the sand and snow dissipated.

"Dig." Alex said, watching the screen as Baxcalibur homed in on Kalagon. His Garchomp dove gracefully into the ground like it was water. Moments later, the ferocious Dig attack connected, and Kalagon roared at Baxcalibur as the larger dragon glowed with ominous ice typing. "Fly up and out of there!" Alex shouted, knowing what Icicle Crash would do, if it landed.

Hassel saw his opportunity and claimed the momentum as their attack missed again. "Freeze the Sandstorm in place!" Baxcalibur roared, and its Snowscape, which boosted its defense, latched on to the conjured Sandstorm. Alex felt his spine tingle, as he realized Kalagon was visible. The Trainers shouted commands simultaneously.

"Ice Beam!"

"Dodge! Dragon Dance!"

Alex was glad for Hassel's choice, despite the danger it posed. Had he used Glaive Rush, Kalagon might have been knocked out, since its sheer power, combined with a fall from that height, would have likely fainted Kalagon even if he continued his streak of hanging on by a single hit point after a devastatingly powerful move from a much higher-level opponent. Ice Beam though, he could handle. As Kalagon tucked in his wings and spun in the air rapidly rotating, the draconic energy he released naturally wanted to avoid the freezing beam of ice that lanced forward from the titanic dragon below, and all Kalagon had to do to dodge was follow the energy's aversion to the freezing cold beams. This was a trick Dragonite typically used, clever as they were, to dodge the ridiculously common move from the water types that lived in the oceans of the world. Being an ocean adjacent species, typically, Dragonite had adapted their moves to avoid their natural quadruple weakness. Shruikan had copied them, remembering well the way the Dragonite on Draconis Mons had moved, when they dared to, and now Kalagon made use of the trick as well.

"Restart the Sandstorm!" Alex ordered, and with a mighty roar, the sandstorm returned in force as his Mega Garchomp's control over the damaging particles overpowered Baxcalibur's waning control over his snow. "Excellent! Now, unleash your wrath! Outrage!"

The sand roared louder, as Kalagon finally drew on the complicated mix of adrenaline, anger, frustration at being recalled against Archon, and taking so long to evolve, all at once. Sand and blurple flame covered the entire battlefield, and Hassel grimaced. Newly evolved, and already fighting like Cynthia. By the time Redwood reached the Superior Sixteen, and he would be at least in the top thirty-two once he managed to take down his Baxcalibur, this Garchomp promised to be a real contender. But it still wouldn't defeat his starter. "Stop it in its tracks!" Hassel roared in a commanding tone that cut through the howling sand whipped up by a Mega Garchomp, "Blizzard!"

Alex swore. Kalagon would be too angry or confused to Dig. "Don't let it charge up, Kalagon! Attack!" There was a savage roar of acknowledgement through the haze of draconic rage, and Alex nodded as he saw the icy blue light within the storm get smothered as sand and blurple flame surged. Judging by the Rotom's screen, the two dragons had devolved into a brawl, and were trading powerful blows. Thanks to his Mega Evolution and his rage though, Kalagon was winning. Garchomp had perfect instincts for constant attack moves. Alex watched Kalagon carefully, and as he began to tire, shouted, "Good! Now Dig deep and get your head straight!"

Kalagon drove Baxcalibur back on the screen, smashing him across the head with his tail before leaping into the ground again. Baxcalibur roared with genuine fury, as it seemed the Outrage had finally stirred its blood. The field shifted from sand to snow once more as the Blizzard it never managed to use was fired off, turning the battlefield into an environment akin to its home. Thanks to their typing, Baxcalibur tended to be territorial kings of the Mediterra mountains and were able to survive and thrive in those freezing, massive altitudes. Unfortunately, Garchomp infamously handled such environments poorly, but Alex wasn't too worried. The hits Kalagon had taken had not been actual moves, and while damaging, he was still very much in the fight.

"Position yourself!" Alex called out, "Then Draco Meteor!"

"Bury the field in ice, Baxcalibur!" Hassel ordered, knowing how Garchomp did in the cold. Another Blizzard completely covered the field, making it a winter wonderland. Alex wasn't worried, though. Suddenly, from one of the holes left by Dig now hidden in the snow, a Draco Meteor shot upwards, exploded, and then arced towards Baxcalibur. "Ice Beam the meteors!" Hassel ordered, never losing his cool.

Once more the school shook as the Mega Garchomp's powerful attack did what Alex and Kalagon wanted. Several meteors seemed to randomly hit the field, while most went for Baxcalibur. Unfortunately, a special attacker he was not, and in terms of special defense, the icy dragon titan was lacking. Several orbs of potent dragon energy struck home, and then came the Garchomp. Too late did Hassel notice, the explosive force from the Draco Meteors had cleared the field of snow. Alex didn't waste their chance on another Sandstorm, they needed to attack before Baxcalibur's defenses rose any higher. By his best guess, he was up three stages thanks to all the snow, but the sand had also been steadily damaging him for some time now.

"Draco Impact!" Alex shouted, as Kalagon began charging towards his target. He leapt into the air, flying and gaining speed as dragon energy wreathed his body. He was essentially using Dragon Rush, but without the inaccuracy rushing caused, and combining it with the force of a Giga Impact. Hassel realized that this was the moment. A hit from a move that strong would likely take down his icy titan, but one Icicle Crash or Ice Beam would be enough to stop the Garchomp. It was a lower level, and a single hit on the glass cannon would shatter him. He'd forgotten how annoyingly fast the shark dragons were.

"Icicle Crash!" He shouted, but unfortunately, Hassel had missed something rather important. While Kalagon had hidden and cleared his head of confusion, he hadn't been idle under the icy field as the Blizzard raged. He'd been dancing. By the time Baxcalibur raised its fists covered in ice energy, Kalagon was already at his throat. The enraged Mega Garchomp lived up to his species name and went for the neck. Dragon energy flared. Ice energy hammered him a moment later, and the two mighty dragons were engulfed in an explosion of snow, sand, and ice.

While Hassel expected a double knockout and welcomed a draw against such an obviously well-trained pair of dragons, he stared in shock as the smoke cleared. Kalagon was panting, hard, his entire right side covered in ice, but he was still very much up, while Baxcalibur was very much not. The victorious shark dragon roared viciously, with enough force to shake the very air, and shatter the ice on him, before his Mega Form faded, and he slumped to a sitting position. There was a brief pause, and then, once more, the students went wild. Kalagon weakly raised a fin towards them, but then returned to panting, his consciousness fading as the freezing cold finally began affecting his body.

Alex bamfed him away from the fainted ice dragon, and with some timely firebending, kept his friend from fainting or shutting down internally. "You always fight so hard for me, Kalagon…thank you." He murmured. His Garchomp gave a happy growl and spoke after the Max Potion took effect. He seemed thrilled to not be weakened anymore.

"You wanted me to be the Best. We are." He stated, as he stood back up to his new full height. For the first time, Alex appreciated just how tall Kalagon was. He knew Rick also had a max sized Garchomp, the aptly named Goliath, and Kalagon was already a match for him, in terms of size, if not level. Eager to get to Selva Muerta, Alex went over the list of the fifty or so lads he was training, which was about how many clones he could make at once and have meaningful training sessions, without his brain shorting out. At a certain point, even his Harmonia enhanced mind reached a limit on how much sensory input it could process and control in a timely manner. Once his newer members evolved, all they'd be waiting on was Revan's armor, which he either had to forge himself, or find someone who knew how.

Alex strode along with his massive Garchomp looming behind him, towards Hassel, and his freezing titan. Hassel recalled him as Baxcalibur stood, and growled at Kalagon, before the older man faced Alex, his wrinkled brow furrowing. "I cannot deny your mastery of Dragons…" Hassel started, "But I cannot condone giving away a title that rightfully belongs to our people."

"Your people don't seem to have a problem, Elite Four Hassel." Alex said, using his own title, as this was, technically, supposed to have been a Tera Orb Certification match, and not a draconic grudge match. The old man flinched, as he seemed to remember that. "The only ones with a problem are all in Castle Drachenfels. Perhaps you've been ingesting too much Imperium propaganda. I earned that title. The Original Dragon chose Me to be Dragon Emperor, because I was the one who literally fused him back together. I don't give a single Muk what your Clan thinks. The Dragon approved of me. I passed the trials. He claims I am doing well in my post. Until that changes, I will not relinquish the title over nonsensical claims of ownership from a clan that aren't even Unovans."

Hassel's face showed he was fighting down an anger filled response to what he perceived as arrogance, but then, he laughed. "At least you have the right temperament. And the right skills." He held out a hand, and the ferocity was replaced by a genuinely kind smile. "I can admit when my judgment has erred. You are worthy of wielding a Tera Orb, Victory League Champion. Congratulations."

From behind them, suddenly, came a familiar whirring sound, that had become quite positively associated, for Alex's brain anyway. The sound of World Tournament rankings shifting upwards or downwards. He briefly wondered just how much Dragon Masters were worth, and then turned to see his progress. He'd been sitting at sixty-six for a while, but after thrashing Hassel, an Elite Four member, Dragon Master, and technically also a Professor, his combined score moved Alex up to a smaller pair of digits. A much smaller pair. Alex grinned as a big one and zero sat next to his name, and he gave Kalagon a high fin as the land shark roared excitedly. "Holy Muk… We're in the top ten, boys."

He felt the team celebrating, though he knew their rank would shift, once they started their Ultra Training. He had until the end of February to keep a spot in the Superior Sixteen, which was actually the thirty-two highest ranked Trainers, and as the deadline approached, only battling other higher ranked Trainers in the top sixteen would elevate one's rank. The downside was that a Trainer could reveal their strategies and battle styles in such a match, just to chase clout and a higher spot in the number rankings. Ash of course, was solidly sitting at number one, and he too was on an unbroken winning streak. Alex knew they'd likely get bumped out of the top sixteen while they went off grid to train in Selva Muerta, but he'd timed things so that he'd have a solid seven days to find opponents, train some more, and claw his way back into the top sixteen once they were done.

It boggled his mind to see his name ranked tenth in the world, for now at least, and he felt Lux take a picture as he floated out of his pocket. A strong, but feminine hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder, and he turned in surprise to see an attractive, and very fit woman, who couldn't have been too much older than he was. Recalling the battle he'd watched Ash have here, he recognized the Battle Studies Professor, Nemona. She held up a microphone to him, and he nodded slightly, guessing this was the payment part of him getting a Tera Orb. "That Battle was…Epic, uh, sir." Nemona started, but Alex interjected.

"Just call me Alex. It's fine." He smiled, and the woman continued. He had a feeling this was slightly out of her comfort zone, but it seemed her zeal for battle was pulling her through the inherent awkwardness of shoving a microphone in a world leader's face.

"Right, uh, Alex. Y'know…those of us who've been training since we were just kids…we heard about how you had to grow up. How long it was before you finally started." Alex's face went passive, but Nemona continued. "How your desire to be a Trainer never wavered even when the Arcean Church basically all but had the League blacklist you. I can't even imagine it…" Nemona said, seeming genuinely empathetic. Alex just nodded. "And now here you are. Alex Redwood, ranked number ten in the entire world. The only names above you are Legends in their own right, people I'm sure you know of, or maybe even have met already. Would you say your childhood dream has just been achieved?"

Alex chuckled. "My dream was achieved when I properly caught Terra. Everything since then…even the war and death and close calls…it's been more fun than my kid self could've possibly imagined. I guess it still hasn't uhh…quite sunk in yet. Tenth in the world. Wow."

Nemona chuckled at his chill reaction, and then gestured to the stands full of wide, eager eyes. Alex spied several kiddos with microphones, but he was more than okay with answering their questions. "I'm going to turn it over to the students, now, if that's okay. Some of them have burning questions for you."

Alex nodded. First up was a first year, which seemed to be a trend for the academy and ordering who asked questions first. In fact, he was pretty sure she was the same kiddo that had gone first in asking Ash questions, too. Which meant she was either really lucky, or really quick with whatever application process dictated who went first. "The World Champion told me to build up my team to get stronger, and I have…but then I see Battles like his, and like yours, and how strong our teachers are…I just don't know if we'll ever be that…powerful."

Alex could tell a recent loss when he saw one. "You've been following everything Ash told you? Because I remember what you asked him." There were chuckles, and Alex walked towards the girl, gesturing to the field. "Let's see that team of yours, then!" She initially seemed to shake her head, but her peers urged her onto the field and cheered as she stood awkwardly next to the much taller Dragon Emperor. He gestured again, and she tossed all of her Pokémon out at once. A female Floragato seemed to be her starter. She also had a Marill, Flaafy, Gible, Riolu, and Charcadet, most of whom were also female. She explained what was going on to their confused faces, and Alex looked over them, with Kalagon still looming over him. He locked eyes with the Gible when they came to him, but it seemed the rather young dragon didn't have the fire in him to challenge such an obviously superior specimen of their species. Kalagon growled, irritated at the baby dragon's meekness.

"This…" Alex said, pausing entirely for suspense, "Is a great team. You have serious potential here. Champion potential. In fact…once they evolve, with their combined move pools, you'll…yea, you'll have pretty much every type accounted for, in terms of damaging attacks or blocking. That means if you ever get approved for ten Pokémon, the next four are just going to increase your power even more. I'd suggest a Psychic Type, when that day comes. But the rest…that's up to you, and whatever fits the Battle style you eventually choose." The girl nodded, paying attention to every word. "Well fed…clean…and fond of you. It seems you did exactly as Ash instructed. Well done. Let's give the lady some applause, folks. Some of these species are hard to find." He smirked, recalling his own earlier attempts at searching for a Charcadet, and he knew how rare Gible could be to see in the wild, let alone get them to stay in a Pokéball. The kiddo shyly kicked the dirt through her applause.

It faded, as Alex closed his eyes, and crossed his arms, pondering if he should make another semi-widely known power up available to anyone with Pokénet access. Then, internally, he said, "Muk it."

"You want to know the secret to training powerful Pokémon?" The young girl nodded, eyes wide, as she sensed she was about to get a hint into a Champion's training method. Alex smirked, and his stupidly long arms spread wide, as he spun and turned to the rest of the kiddos. "How about all of you? Do you want to know too?"

The cheers were deafening, a mix of 'We do!' and 'Yes! Please!' and other cheers he couldn't make out bombarded his ears. He raised a hand, after a solid fifteen seconds. "The secret to raising a powerful Pokémon…is…" He smirked, as he saw the younger kiddos literally on the edges of their seats. "Battling!"

He laughed, and the more experienced Trainers joined in, as they got the joke. Nemona, who was off to the side now, also laughed, as she, perhaps more than anyone else at the academy, understood what he meant. As the giggles died down, Alex continued. "But really. The more intense your opponents, the stronger you will become. Much has been said about how my team and I rose so far so fast. I say, look at our opponents. That black Charizard atop Draconis Mons. Blaze faced it as a freshly evolved Mega Charizard, and we won!" There were whoops, as that was by far still the most popular clash when it came to Charizard. There had been others since, of course, some Alex and Blaze had also been involved in, but none had been in low orbit, or featured a naturally evolving Mega Form.

"We trained hard all across Unova and beat every single Gym Leader's strongest team. I was lucky enough to face the Striaton Trio, and Brycen himself, before he retired. Arthur, my Gallade, barely ever stopped training, because he wanted to be the Best, and he was able to almost solo the Elite Four of the hardest League in the world. Caleb Pravus kept the entire Victory League away from the Original Dragon while I was away training. But eventually, I went home to face him. And Arthur and I won. Ghetsis, newly escaped from our old Prison system, again, threw the Forces of Nature at Jess and me. I took on Landorus, their leader, with Hydrus. I believed he could win, and he did!" He had the crowd's attention now, but he wasn't quite done yet. "I Battled many of the Champions from across the States down in the Swamp when I went off training. Their teams whooped mine quite a few times, before we were able to hold our own. But those losses made us all stronger. And I don't mean in Exp. points, or any of that nonsense. It's literal experiences, accumulating over time. Facing down massively powerful foes and being strong enough to hold our ground. Pokémon can gain those, even after reaching what we Humans call level one hundred. They can always get stronger. You just have to keep Battling."

Seemingly satisfied with her answer, the kiddo declared, "Imma Battle everyone I see from here to Glaseado Peak!" Her team shared her enthusiasm, and Alex chuckled as she ran straight out of the school yard stadium. The next student was a little older, also female going by her appearance and outfit choices. He could tell she was a nerd, and probably not a Trainer, and he had a feeling there were quite a few like her, in say, business courses, who might have a question or two for him, after his recent announcements. Apparently, Tao was keeping everyone calm, but as expected, the old rich people were complaining the loudest. Instead of guaranteeing the worth of currency, the Empire was guaranteeing that compensation would still be available, and the transition away from currency would take years, if it ever fully went away at all. All Alex and the others had really done was free the masses from hunger and potentially losing their homes over a lack of currency. The sky didn't fall, Tepigs hadn't flown. The people across the world were being fed, and yet the wheels of capitalism continued to grind on.

"Emperor Redwood…your people's latest invention is…a marvel, no one can deny, and the erm…Dragon Burgers? Delicious. And nutritious. And free. All good things, with minimal impact on the environment. Apparently, even local criminal street gangs are ensuring nobody messes with the food machines. You've genuinely altered society at every level…my question is for the farmers and the workers in the food industry, though. What happens to them, exactly?"

Alex smiled, and answered just as evenly, matching her tone. "They can do whatever the Muk they want. I imagine most restaurants will eventually close or shift to having specialized Replication Machines keyed to their brand, but that just frees up all those servers and waitresses to go be whatever they want. You can apply for a house rather easily, as I understand it, though it may not be near your family. Food is as easy to gather as a few large bags and a trip to the nearest Replicator. The majority of their life hours are now theirs, and theirs alone. I imagine they'll want a break, first. But after that...? That's their choice. Who knows, maybe they'll take up Pokémon training." He gave her a knowing smirk, and the student rolled her eyes, but she was smiling slightly.

"As far as farms go…I would advise that any ranches or Pokémon farms simply continue as they've been doing, but with a shift to farming berries and Pokémon materials." His smirk turned slightly devious, and he could almost feel his father's rage from across the ocean as he said, "I know some Ranchers who just completely ignore their Pokémon materials. Treat'em like trash and toss them, or give them to someone who has a use for them. Now, I guess they have more value than a Pokédollar." That, he knew, would set off his old man. He'd put his entire life into getting enough currency to survive, and keeping their family business alive, and now his son had essentially just severely devalued currencies the world over, and all but killed the food industry. The things Alex used to be forced to shovel, in return for lackluster amounts of currency, were now worth more to people than his own life savings. And yet the sky remained blue, and the rain was still water, not Poliwags.

She thanked him, her question answered, and next up came someone who was apparently tired of waiting to speak, as he ran down the stairs and somewhat competently leapt onto the field. Everyone in the school knew who Arven was, but Alex did not. A quick scan of the man's gear informed him of his profession, though. "Yea, I gotta question for you, Dragon Foreigner." He spat into the mic. "What about Chefs? Who's going to want our food if nobody needs to cook anymore? Paldean culture has a huge basis on food! You'll destroy our way of life!"

The crowd's reaction was mixed, and Alex arched an eyebrow, at the severity of the reaction. Paldeans liked their sandwiches, surprising no one. He held up a hand as the boos for Arven got louder, then faded. "Now now, he has a point. But I would point out that a lot of people, at least right now, have limited access to only certain kinds of Pokémon materials. And as yummy as Dragon Burgers are…they're meant for those who have no food at all. For convenience, and a healthy, filling snack. We're working on making it a whole meal, with sugarless soda, plant-based fries, but for now, Burgers. Anyway. These machines are great for Chefs. They're welcome to petition for one in their kitchens, and I have a feeling they will." Alex said, baiting the man.

Arven was no idiot, as he recognized the bait, but he took it anyway. "I certainly won't. These machines will destroy the industry I've wanted to enter my entire life."

Alex shook his head. "I'm afraid you've been listening to propaganda, and people with an agenda. You're simply wrong. Most relatively common materials, Rattata fur for example, or Lechonk bits, can be converted into pretty much any item you and our creative cooking friends can shove on a sandwich. That means no more two-hour shopping trips to keep the food stocked in the kitchens. Hell, you won't even need freezers. Imagine how much space that frees up. And a Trainer on the road can exchange their extra materials for basic sandwich ingredients, too. I've helped revolutionize your industry, Mr. Chef. Cooking won't die out from this. If anything, I expect a rise in the number of meal preppers, now that everyone can get ingredients with absurd ease."

"The names Arven Turo." He said finally, looking back up at Alex, whose eyes widened as he recognized the name. "You make some good points, Dragon guy. I…guess I was uninformed about the full potential of your Replicators. Huh. Well, uh…good luck with your Tournament thing."

Alex chuckled. "And good luck with your cooking. You're about to have a lot of competition, I think." He gestured for the next kiddo to speak. "I'll take one more, before I need to get going." That, caused murmurs throughout the stands. Voices started to rise, and Alex's brow furrowed slightly. Arguments broke out, and Alex raised his hands again, but by that point, some arguments had turned heated. He saw Director Clavell facepalm, and then he looked up at Kalagon. The dragon nodded, and then roared impressively loud, right in his ear. So loud he had to put up a small psychic barrier just to not pop his eardrum. Kalagon smacked his lips as it ended, and then he looked back at his Trainer with a grin on his large toothy maw.

"Thanks, Kal." He said, giving his large, slightly softer leathery under chin scritches. The large dragon's foot twitched, and then started stomping the ground, before Alex kept speaking. He chuckled, and some of the students did as well, before he finally let up, and turned his gaze to them. "I do only have time for one question, but, I can give each of you that one question." Confused murmurs rose from the students, and he smirked, crossing his four pointer and middle fingers. Some eyebrows raised in recognition as he did so, which spurred him to shout, "Multi Clones!"

His eyes rapidly scanned the entirety of the stands, and his third eye counted the minds. Just over five hundred, which was apparently what the smaller-than-average stadium could seat at max. Five hundred was a lot, but it would be a good test, especially if he wanted almost twice that in eventual Pokémon partners. Exactly five hundred identical copies of his chill smirk, black and white attire, and tall frame filled the entirety of the battlefield, and he heard the kiddos gasp in awe. Some, those who had recognized his finger sign, had looks of pure amazement and joy, that such a technique was even possible for psychic humans. Others had differing looks, some bordering on worry, but most seemed confused.

Alex prime floated above all of them, and meditated, legs crossed, eyes closed, fists together as the clones all creepily spoke in unison. "This is…a lot, but I think…I can…do it. I'll have to talk to you slowly, and I may get your questions mixed up, so correct your clone if you think there's an error with my answer." His speech grew more confident as he sorted the clones by groups of twenty, which in his head, made them more manageable. "Looks like…we'll be going twenty at a time. If any of you don't have a question for me, just tell one of my clones. Please, join me on the field and find one."

He paused, and as he heard murmuring about financial sectors and the price of goods from certain students he said, "Let's just keep this focused on questions about Pokémon Training for now. This is…quite hard, actually." It seemed he'd found a sort of soft limit, but five hundred was still impressive, even in anime terms. If he kept working and using the move, he assumed it would become easier, like Teleport had. It seemed psychic power, or the act of using it specifically in what his people typically classified as moves, was not unlike a muscle. It had to be used and stressed to grow stronger. He certainly felt the stress from channeling so much energy and processing so many inputs, but actually creating and maintaining his copies was something his humming Mind Plate was handling quite well. As it had been fused with his helmet, he had donned it once again, but only his true self had it on.

The first twenty questions took about a minute for the clones to process. Alex tried to make them act natural, like part of a regular conversation. He took a long breath, cooling down from the battle he'd just had seemed to help. In mental terms, it was as if he was sitting atop a calm water surface, much like Oogway had, with twenty viewpoints before him, all with different students of different ages speaking pretty much at once. The problem was playing them back, within his mind. Speaking took time, and even if he sped up their words, he didn't want to risk missing certain tones or misinterpreting what was being asked.

The questions were simple but telling as to where their weaknesses as Trainers lay. Some really did just need advice. What vitamins enhanced which stats. The pros and cons of making or catching physical or special attackers. Others wanted him to build their whole team for them, a perfectly balanced one of course, and one obtainable in Paldea. He knew how kiddos got with building teams. He'd enjoyed it himself, once, until he'd tried to decide what combination of six would make him Champion worthy, strong enough to face the likes of Unova's Heroes. To them, his answer was simple. "Trust the universe to guide you to who you need to meet. In my experience, focusing on what type you want to find while you're all eating and waking up is a good way to run into what you're looking for. Pick a type, pick one or two or however many interest you, and head to where you can find them. Or trade for them on the Trading Network."

Since Trainers could set up trades in different regions, it allowed them to go out and catch what the other person wanted. His Abra had been one such trade, as his partner had desperately wanted a Swanna. Seeing it was from a Champion, and a world leader, had made the young girl determined to find a typically elusive and very hard to catch Pokémon, but she'd done it. Other questions, by majority, asked about how to be or become a Champion ranked Trainer. To those, he answered similarly along the lines of, "Champions are those who have the willpower to train hard, and the love to bond their teams together. You saw Kalagon fight for me. It's because we're friends, brothers, even. The closer you grow, the further you'll go. It's up to you and your partners how far that ends up being."

These kinds of questions made up the majority of the remaining groups of twenty. There were, however, quite a lot of questions about el romance, and after a long pause to those kiddos, Alex finally relented, and gave what advice he could. Ninety percent of it was, "Keep regular eye contact, stay calm, and talk to them like a friend. In fact, they should be your friend first, but you also need to be a bit obvious about your crush on them. Otherwise, a friend you will remain, probably forever." The boys were somewhat lucky, as most girls did notice that sort of thing if it wasn't creepy or too forward. To the girls though, he advised to be so obvious, even the lads obsessed with battle and Pokémon wouldn't be able to miss it. At least three walked away determined to make literal signs, but he admired that they had the courage to so boldly proclaim their feelings. He would've never done that himself, and just the thought made his very being cringe uncomfortably. He tried to maintain a balance, but he still leaned more towards being an introvert. He paused then, wondering if he would do such a thing now, for Jess. That's essentially what a wedding was, after all. A very loud declaration of love, and since he was who he was, it'd probably get a lot of attention. He decided to roll with it and let her do whatever she wanted.

Answering their questions took about twenty minutes in total, but eventually, the low hum over his baritone replicated five hundred times faded, as the kiddos thanked him, dismissed their clone, and went back to their studies. Director Clavell approached him then, and Alex gave him a nod of respect. "An excellent Battle, Dragon Emperor. And rather decent advice, as well. I'm sure you have places to be, but I would recommend speaking with El Primero, now that you have a Tera Orb." He smiled. "He's currently over at the Blueberry Academy, in their Terarium, training for the World Tournament. He hops between Regions rather quickly, that one."

Alex's face stayed neutral, as he nodded and absorbed the older man's words. As a proud Unova University alum, he'd avoid BBA for obvious reasons, but their Trainers were strong, their education facilities and classes were on par with UU's senior level courses, and their usual battles were all doubles, or lately, as he'd heard it, triples. Nick, as one of the Elite Four, had zero qualms about using the Terarium to train, or to find new partners. He'd told Alex several times now to visit, that doing so would be well worth it, but Alex had stubbornly kept his pride in Unova University and their classic methods of educating. He hadn't been on the battling team there or anything, but it was the principle of loyalty that he wanted to uphold. The more he thought it over though, the more he realized it would look bad if the region's leader was seen favoring one school over the others. He'd also heard good things about the Nova League, and Bostonia University was apparently working on their own Terarium. Even with BBA flourishing as it was, most Unovan Trainers still lacked a Tera Orb. Visiting BBA now would give him an excuse to visit BU's take on a Terarium too.

Finally, he said, "I've been meaning to visit the Terarium. I'll head over there soon."

Director Clavell inclined his old head, still remarkably full of hair, despite his age. Though, as Alex looked closer, he realized the man was probably wearing a wig. "Very good. I'll let them know you're stopping by." Alex cringed internally, as he knew there'd probably be another, larger, reception, but he nodded, and Clavell went on his way. Alex briefly considered bamfing over and flying to the academy before Clavell could hobble his way back to his office to make the call, but he resisted. He still had things to do in Paldea, namely, evolving his team.

He bamfed himself outside the academy's school yard and floated in the air above the academy grounds as he brought up the almost fifty names and profiles of his partners. "Goku, Coryn, Maromnis, Kage, Blast, James, Khan and Revan. And Fulguron, and Psi need to evolve twice." A bit water heavy in Dewott, Frogadier, Wartortle, and Drizzile for a proper battling team of ten, but those were the ones who needed experience. Revan also needed his armor, as once they had it, he could start honing his abilities as a Ceruledge. Much like Arthur, the sooner he started that, the better off they'd be. He also wanted to try finding the Tera Dens he'd heard about. Similar to Galar's, except containing Terastallized opponents, there were many theories about how the Pokémon within appeared. Over the years, El Primero had apparently been able to get Champion tier Pokémon from them and catching them was as easy as throwing a ball, once you broke their Tera Shield and caused a faint.

Now that he had a Tera Orb, Lux was able to access the Trainer boards for active dens looking for participants. Very quickly, he realized finding a Beldum, or one of its evolutions this way would be…tedious, if not impossible. It also wouldn't be white and gold. But it would give him Exp. Candy, and after reading up a bit on the basics of how the boards worked, he decided to use his main ten for them. The stronger the Terastal energy inside the den, the stronger the Pokémon, the more rewards they'd have when defeated. The ones battling didn't actually get Exp. points though, just the experience of a tough opponent, which he knew some members of his team needed more than others.

Canis was burning to get over his humiliating loss, but he wasn't alone in being frustrated at the gap between him, and the A Team. Alex selected him for the first den, and then Teleported himself to the closest waypoint he had to the den in question. The three other students looked shocked when they saw him descend from the sky, but after greetings and a few autographs, they were ready to face their opponent. A steel Tera typed Espathra. Alex was unfamiliar with the psychic ostrich, aside from its Dex entries, which said it was vicious. The cold, unflinching steel type was apparently the energy type most in line with its personality. It shrieked as the four Trainers approached it and sent out their partners.

The other three Trainers seemed almost disappointed by his rather normal looking Lucario, and they had no time to look closer and appreciate how much obvious effort had gone into his training, before they'd so much as blinked, the crystalline shell had appeared around their opponent, and then turned a hard steel gray color. It still shone, but only its unnerving eyes made it through the steely Terastal Shield. Then, the psychic ostrich started attacking, and dodging, with its insane speed. Very quickly, Alex realized their team would fall too fast if he didn't do something. His partners had a Machoke, a Paldean Tauros of the fire variety, and a Crabominable.

In terms of moves, Canis by far had the best move pool, and he made use of it, hanging back and using Life Dew as his teammates cheered their Pokémon on, raising their attack and defensive stats. Canis also fired off a cheeky Aura Sphere when he could, and it didn't take long for the Espathra to target him as the psychic figured out who the healer and highest-level Pokémon on their side was.

Canis matched its Psybeam by blocking it with a barrier formed by his Psychic attack, which hilariously was actually stronger and more useful than the move Barrier. While he blocked, the others landed their hits, and despite raising its Tera Shield early, it finally broke, revealing the still crystalline body beneath. It was still coated in crystals, gray and polished looking, like a steel type, but it was on its last legs. Canis hammered it with another Aura Sphere, and down it went.

None of them opted to catch the creature, and Alex watched with interest as, once they decided not to, it just vanished in a cloud of sparkles. Like it had never been there. In its place, were a plethora of items, and Alex went to gather his last, only to find that every one of them had gotten the same amount of the same stuff. When he tried to grab more, his hand had passed through the items on the crystalline pedestal. Like an empty chest in an old video game. "Does uhh…does it always give everyone the same loot?" He asked the one Trainer who was still here and not on to their next den. He gave Alex a nod, thanked him for his timely Life Dews, and then off he went as well. Alex frowned slightly.

Sure, they'd come together against a powerful Pokémon, but there was…no camaraderie. No bonding. He hadn't really gotten their names, either. No real strategy had even been needed, apparently, for a den of this rank. He'd thought six stars was a high rating, but apparently, they could go much higher. For whatever reason, they were only able to use their chosen pick inside Tera Dens, and once it was over and everyone had their loot, they'd all just…run off. Without more than a few sentences spoken to each other. It just felt a bit…hollow. And the way the Espathra had vanished…bothered him. One second, he had sensed its formidable mind, and then the next…poof. It was gone. Completely. He'd extended his senses trying to follow it, but there had been no trace of the powerful psychic with a steely heart, and he was fairly sure it hadn't Teleported.

Alex called out Psi once he left the den, which also proceeded to vanish into nothingness, as if it had never been there, once he left. The Abra yawned, and then smiled at him, in his weird way. Psi wasn't awake too often, but he had enjoyed Festivus. For about four hours, before he'd fallen asleep again. "Ready to evolve, my friend?" Alex asked. The Abra nodded. He'd gained enough experience through the Exp. Share. Now he just needed a little boost.

Alex gave him one of the extra-large Exp. Candies he'd gathered, and the Abra gasped as he tasted it, and munched it down quicker than Alex had seen him eat. His body surged with Infinity Energy, shining bright white as he became a Kadabra, and also larger than he'd been before. Alex had measured his size as perfectly normal, but now, his PokéDex was saying Psi was a large specimen. Then, he saw his level, and balked. "From ONE candy!?" He didn't believe the numbers his device was recording. "Lux…is this thing defective? It's saying…it's saying he's strong enough for Hyper Training. He was barely high enough level to evolve a few seconds ago."

"It's…all functional." Lux said, with a yawn. Training all the new Replicator Rotoms had left him tired lately. "That must be some potent candy." He said sleepily, before fading back to unconsciousness with a slight smirk on his mouth. Humans were so easily surprised, and it amused him. Power was power, and the power that had given his humans those cubes of energy had simply transferred it to the Pokémon eating the item. But their science would tell Alex that eventually, so to sleep the Rotom went.

Alex stared at his loot. He'd gotten twelve of them, the extra-large ones, and around five large candies from the raid. He had also picked up two pale gray sparkly herbs, but he had no earthly idea what to do with them, so into the bag they went. Apparently, quite a lot of high-level Tera Raids ended in failure, which made some sense. If Paldea's Trainers got loot like this from every den and every den was a success, they'd be monstrously powerful. Then, he considered El Primero. He'd reportedly won hundreds of very difficult Tera Den raids. Over the course of several years. Not only were the Pokémon within stronger than usual, he'd seen their stats posted from those that were caught by other Trainers, but the amount of strength that could be gained with a bit of strategy and barely any teamwork…

Many of the new Trainers in this World Tournament were from Paldea, and he had a feeling they'd be rising to the top soon. With this absurdly easy access to power, they'd be able to rival the likes of Red. Well, he thought, maybe not Red. But definitely Gary Oak. Skilled Trainers who'd gotten that way over years. This kind of power boost wouldn't make up for lacking The Power of Friendship or battle experience, but it would probably put quite a few young Trainers very high in the global rankings. "We're going to need to train harder…" He muttered, before calling out the rest of those who needed to evolve. Psi watched intently, interested, but quiet. Alex was giving him time to adjust to his new brain and new body capable of having it function without needing constant sleep.

He called out his Monferno, Dartrix, Dewott, Frogadier, Wartortle, Torracat, and Drizzile. They all greeted him, except for James, who huffed, and flipped his fin 'hair' with one of his fingerless hands. Coryn copied him, flipping his own hair with a wing, and chuffed lightly as he gently mocked the water lizard. "Alright lads…" Alex started, not thrilled about how awkward this all felt. "I have…some items here that will probably catapult you to your final forms. But I wanted to make sure you're all on board, before eating them. You'll never go back to the way you are now, once you eat them. If you don't want to, we can always train you up the old-fashioned way." He held out a stupidly large palm with six extra-large, square, pale blue candies on it. "You have the choice to-" He paused, as James swiped one, with impressive speed.

"I can't stand this body!" He groaned. Alex sympathized. Drizzile's hormones made it akin to an emotional human teenager. But it lived like that constantly. Eating berries and playing the video games he'd somehow hooked up within his ball was fun, as they were first person shooters, naturally, but James desperately wanted to be an Inteleon. Shortcut or not, he intended to take it. Fingers would make him much better at video games, too. He popped the candy into his toothless maw and then munched on it, nodding. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he too began shining impossibly bright. As the light faded, James Pond struck an iconic pose, with his literal finger gun held up before him as he channeled the human actors who had portrayed James Bond. He tested his new signature move out on a nearby boulder, though it seemed…weaker, than it should've been for his level. Which was now also high enough for Hyper Training. Goku frowned, took a block, sniffed it, then put it back. Alex nodded, as he knew the fire monkey preferred the rush from getting stronger. Old school training was his favorite thing to do.

Coryn thought it over, and then shrugged, and grabbed one with his beak. He wanted to get better with his feather arrows as soon as possible, and a Dartrix's body simply didn't fight like a Decidueye. He examined his new hood and wings as the light of his evolution faded, and then nodded, smiling at his Trainer, and content with his form. He drew a feather arrow, which instantly regrew, and examined it. As he test fired at the same rock as James had, nailing the tiny impact crater with unerring accuracy thanks to his absurd sight and the short distance, Alex turned to Maromnis. The Dewott thought for a moment, then shook his head. His fighting style wouldn't change much as a Samurott, and he was already close to evolving anyway.

Kage and Blast shared a look, nodded, and then glowed in unison. Like Psi and James, their bodies had grown larger than they'd been. Kage was lithe, but his body wasn't nearly as rigid as Gren's. Comparing him to his father, Alex began to see the drawback to using the candy. With time, he was sure, they'd grow into their form's power, but as fresh evolutions from the use of weirdly obtained items, they didn't have the 'oomph' that usually came with evolving like Kalagon had, in battle. Blast's cannons seemed large, for example, but his Water Pulse didn't leave much more of a mark on their chosen boulder than James had with his attack. Granted, he had been trained as a physical attacker. Khan also declined the candy, and Alex nodded in agreement with his choice.

He had Kalagon fly them to the Asado Desert, where in short order, Maromnis ruthlessly slashed his way through an entire herd of Krokorok, led by a Krookodile. As he stood amid the downed and shrinking ground types, the otter samurai began shining, and ascended to his own final form, a stern looking Samurott. He tested his Scalblades, once more on a boulder, and grinned as he slashed it in two.

Goku, not to be outdone, attempted the exact same feat, though the battle was harsher for him. And more brutal. Being a desert biome with not a lot of berry growing potential, that meant the local wildlife typically either ate each other, humans, or whatever they could catch from the coast, if they could fly or use vines. The Krokorok all managed to land some serious hits on the Flame Charging Monferno, but after a potion and more speed, he was eventually able to take them down with Brick Break, even their Krookodile leader, a much larger matriarch than Maromnis had faced. That didn't evolve him though. Goku finally ascended after wrastling with an Orthworm, and winning. He beat his chest proudly over his foe, but to his chagrin, the local desert Pokémon had no Muks to give about his evolution. They were in survival mode, and little else mattered.

Despite the numerous ground types around, Khan had also wanted to battle. With Trailblaze, something his species could apparently learn, he used the trick from Noir to great success, since Flame Charging through sand typically did the opposite of speed one up. Melted silica was painful, and easily stuck to fur. Alex had him mainly fighting the local Rabsca, as his fire moves worked on them, they gave more experience as an evolved species, and they were everywhere for some reason. After Goku evolved, the ten of them had broken for lunch, while everyone else got their food in their balls. Alex did bring out his grass types as well, but they just absorbed the intense sun of the desert, while the others enjoyed Alex's attempt at culinary creation. He'd taken his own advice and used his horde of Pokémon materials to get some cooking ingredients, and a very helpful man in one of Mesagoza's restaurants had given him a rather impressive list of recipes for Paldean cuisine.

Alex had remarked on its size, and the man had given him a look, saying he, of all people, should understand why he gave out such thorough lists of ingredients, recipes so simple that ten-year-olds could make them. Or attempt to, anyway. Alex had nodded at that, seeing his point. Wasn't much point to giving everyone access to ingredients if they had no idea how to cook.

Alex ignored the list for this, however, as he'd added two herbed sausages, four packages worth of noodles, two slabs of butter, and then for some reason beyond his ken, Wasabi on top. The team seemed to enjoy it, but he was suddenly glad they had so many water types on hand. Then, as he'd descended from the large rock formation, leaving his grass types to bask, he'd balked at the sheer number of Rabsca below and around him. Khan had started picking them off one by one, though often they would just charge at Alex, and he let them. It seemed the other Rabsca wouldn't swarm him if he was defending himself with a battle.

As they ran around the desert, with Alex finding a truly absurd amount of Soft Sand and Stardust as they did, he noticed quite a lot of Flittle and Espathra as well. The local Trainers proved to be pretty easy to deal with, as Alex made his way to Cascaraffa City. He finally climbed over the largest dune between him and his destination and sighed at how far he still had to go. His stupidly large feet did not make walking in the dunes easier, in fact he'd stepped on probably twenty innocent Pokémon by that point in the day. Cascaraffa was beautiful, in its trademark blue and white. The city was tiered, but refreshingly, this didn't seem to be a wealth-based tier system. He spied a Veracidad on the upper tier, but the rest of the city wasn't as…clearly divided as some parts of Unova and Rio had been.

Their Gym Leader was, Alex could tell just by seeing the city, a pillar of strength. An older man, getting close to retirement, he reportedly had lost none of his youthful attitude and vigor even in his advancing age. Eating healthy, nutrient rich Veluza steaks all the time probably helped. Leader Kofu was also considered, globally, to be a Water Type Master, a title he had received recently from the League, but apparently took pride in. He felt Terra's ball shudder on his hip, and smirked. "Kinda reminds of Marlon, huh, bud." He muttered, as he realized he was, technically, in a new region, and hadn't battled any Gyms yet. And right after beating an Elite Four member, too. His brows furrowed at all the similarities to the start of his journey, Kofu was a water type user, probably the strongest Gym Leader in Paldea these days, when he was serious, but before Alex could think more on it, Khan mrowled at him, and Alex gave him scritches, utterly losing his train of thought.

With a sigh, he headed towards the city, and smirked. If history was repeating, there was probably a reason for it. "Muk it." He muttered. "Let's go earn some World Tournament points. We can get higher than ten."

As he crossed the small bridge that led into the seemingly cooler area of Cascaraffa, a feminine voice that sounded kind of familiar rang out from behind him. "Not so fast, Dragon Emperor! I Challenge you!" He turned, and smirked, as he saw his cousin Aria, standing next to her rather large Meganium. As expected, her journey had made her grow quickly, and her eyes were on fire now. "Hey cuz." She said, losing her commanding tone. Alex blinked, as beside her, he saw Isamu, the Tamer of Zygarde, with his main core, a green one, on his shoulder. He was dressed in a Naranuva Academy uniform. He gave an awkward wave.

Alex and Khan watched the pair with mirrored smirks. "Aria. And Isamu? Good to see you again. I have time for a one on one, cousin…and I'll be using Khan here, since he's the last one who needs to evolve. I think a Battle will help push him to his final form."

Aria frowned and looked at her partner. "I guess that means you're out, Meg. Sorry." Her Meganium, Meg, apparently, balked and made a noise of disbelief, but Aria shook her head. "That's a Torracat from Eous that's about to evolve and I need you to not be injured when we face Kofu." Meg made a sad, but understanding noise, sniffled, and then returned to her ball. Seeing Alex's frown, Aria chuckled. "Don't worry, she's just acting. She's been training all day, and she needs a break before tomorrow. Let's see…" She eyed Khan with a look Alex recognized, and her brows furrowed. "I don't think I have anyone who could match this guy enough for a Battle…"

"Let's see your team." Alex said, smirking. He could tell she was put off by Khan, which was normal, since he was getting rather fierce and tiger-like after not evolving for so many levels. Aria brought out five of her six balls, revealing Leif, his former Leafeon, along with Meg again, who still seemed sad, there was also a female Jellicent, Taria, the Altaria she'd caught as a very small Swablu when they were younger, and an Audino, who seemed new, but happy to be with her team. "And who's in that one?" Alex asked, gesturing to her last ball. He sensed an Onix, and if he could help her with it, she'd have serious potential in the rest of Paldea's circuit.

"Oh, that's…Dia…she's…new…and angry. Very angry. I usually keep her in her ball…" Aria said, frowning. "Isamu helped me catch her, but she's uh…been rated too violent for cities, by the League. I shouldn't let her out here…"

"Perhaps keeping her cooped up is what's angering her." Alex said, wisely. "It's alright, I'm a Champion, and I can move the Onix myself if necessary. Onix like to have hundreds of miles of territory in which to travel. A Pokéball can't replicate that. Bring her out, and if she gets too wild, Meg and I can hold her down." The Meganium's head perked up, hearing her name, and she smiled at Alex, then ran over to nuzzle him. "I believe in you, kiddo. Think you can restrain an Onix?" She gave a confident, affirmative cry, but Aria shook her head.

"She's too tired, she-" Alex cut her off. "She's been in the desert sun all day, Aria. Grass Types do absurdly well under harsh sunlight. They get powerful enough to rival dragons. It's almost unfair." If they didn't have so many weaknesses, he knew grass types would be very, very powerful. But most Trainers had ice or fire moves on hand, as they were very common. Flying types were also pretty common.

Aria sighed. "Alright, fine. You're the Champion. Come on out, Dia! Meet my family." The ferocious female Onix roared loud enough to shake the air at her Trainer, and Aria just nodded, still frowning. Isamu chuckled, awkwardly. "Yea, that's about her standard reaction. Now she'll attack…"

Alex gave the pair a confident smirk and a wink. "Just watch the Redwood Method in action, kiddos." He tried not to laugh as Isamu pulled out a notebook and prepared to write and observe. He stepped up beside Meg, and while Dia growled at him warningly, Meg growled back, and Dia wisely resisted the urge to strike. As expected, she respected Meg's strength. She Coiled instead, raising her defense, but watched them both intently. "Hello there." He saw her head tilt, as Dia registered his words perfectly. "That's right, I speak as you do. Come closer. So long as you don't attack us, my friend Meg here won't attack you, alright?"

The Onix cautiously nodded and leaned her head forward. Meg greeted her cheerfully, and Dia blinked at her. That was as close to a 'hi' as she was likely to get from the giant rock snake. "I hear you've been having some trouble with my cousin Aria. Why don't you tell me what's wrong, so I can help?"

"What's wrong? I don't want to belong to a Human!" She roared at the heavens, before meeting his gaze again, her sharp, angular snout inches from his body. Alex didn't move, though, and Meg frowned, but held back from attacking, as Alex put an open hand towards her, the universal signal to wait.

"I understand that, but hear me out, Dia." Alex said. She growled at the name but blinked. Letting him go ahead and speak. That was good, she was proud, but reasonable. "Aria can make you very powerful. She's strong, like me, and she has potential."

Dia glanced at Aria, then back to him. "You…smell of Dragons. Your aura is strong, I will admit. But that one…" She growled at Aria, "Is much weaker. You should train me. Then I would believe your words."

"Unfortunately," Alex said, smirking again, "I already have Adamanteus." At the intonation of his name, the eager titanic steel snake launched from his ball, rising high above all of them with his impressive size. He gave Dia a low growl, which Alex's ears translated as 'Sup'. If Dia was impressed or interested, she didn't show it, but then, she was a rock type. Reading their moods was very hard, and Adamanteus had evolved before Alex learned to read him as an Onix. "But you see my words are true. I am not lying. I promise you, if you listen to Aria, if you help her while she travels, you will become every bit as strong as my Steelix. Eventually. But if you still want to be released…we can do that, too. So long as you agree not to attack any Humans or their cities. Unless attacked first, of course."

Dia paused for a long moment, thinking slowly, like most rock types. Her eyes darted from Alex to Adamanteus, who was still giving her an eager smirk and seemed far more interested in her than she did in him. Then again, with Pokémon, they could seem to dislike each other and still produce as many eggs as any other pairing. Finally, she spoke. "I will believe you…and accept the price of power. But tell the Human she must let me free more! I cannot stay in that…sphere…forever. I won't."

"Fair enough." Alex said, walking back towards Aria and Isamu, who seemed awestruck by how casually the man had chatted with the Onix. Dia followed him, and he recalled Adamanteus before his posturing turned more insistent. "Dia has agreed to work with you, provided you let her out more. Once I find a Metal Coat, I can send it over…"

"No need." Aria said, producing one from her bag. Alex resisted smirking, and Khan went very still. Against a rock and ground type, he may well lose, but if she made Dia into a steel type, the power to evolve would be in reach. She offered it to Dia. "If you listen to me, I'll let you out when I can, in areas where you won't hurt anyone. Deal?" Dia rumbled her agreement, her eyes alight with the chance for evolution, and as she touched the Metal Coat with her snout, it quickly moved to cover her body, as it began shining a brilliant white.

Dia roared again, as her evolution finished, and then eyed Alex and Khan. Aria got out a brush with impressive speed, and quickly gave her Steelix's new steel coat a cleaning. She shone bright in the fading sun of the desert. "Alright cuz, we're ready to…Battle you…aw, Muk. I should've waited to evolve her."

Alex and Khan laughed at their face's expressions, and Isamu chuckled as well. "You should have." Alex said, smirking, "But what's done is done. Come, we'll use Cascaraffa's field. It should have barriers. We'll need them, especially if Khan evolves." Once they were in place, Alex gestured to his cousin. "Newbies go first, I am a Champion, after all." He said loud enough to draw some looks. As expected, word spread like wildfire. Paldeans loved battles almost as much as sandwiches.

Aria didn't hesitate. "Dia! Earthquake!" The much larger Steelix smirked at Khan, who growled, irritated. Being on the team he was on; he'd learned how to handle Earthquake. It just always hurt, since Trailblaze could only be so strong when used by a fire type. Alex called the move, and he skated through the crashing earth, wincing but quickly realizing that compared to Terra, Dia's mastery was clumsy at best. Wild Pokémon didn't really need finesse like battlers did, so their control tended to be vague but overwhelming, to most species. "Don't let up!" Aria shouted, "Earthquake 'till it hits!"

Alex nodded, as the Steelix slammed her titanic frame down again, but Khan was still Trailblazing. He'd have to stop to use a fire move though, so he and his Trainer watched for an opening as Dia began repeatedly rumbling the field. The crowd went wild, as they typically enjoyed moves of that level of power. The energy barriers kept the worst of the attacks from escaping and damaging their city. "Khan! Slide backwards, now!"

The fiery adolescent tiger cub did so, having long since learned that his Trainer often saw things he could not. He always guided him to a decent opening for an attack, which made Khan fonder of him. The training was a bit intense, and learning so many moves was a pain, but Alex's team was large and usually had someone who could explain something vague, like making grass grow on command, or summoning the power of bugs of all things. Bug energy personally creeped him out, but Leech Life had proven quite useful. He was glad he had the Trainer he had. He was starting to believe he really could be the best.

As he skated back, he understood. Dia had, in her anger, raised two large Earthquake mounds of ground energy to crush him between them, but she'd left just enough of a gap to avoid the attack. No, Khan realized slowly, as he looked up, and saw what Alex had. He now had a ramp straight to Dia's head. Once again, his Trainer had guided him to a prime opening. He started running, as Alex called the move. "Fire Claw! Don't let up!"

Fire Claw was what made Eousian Litten so sought after, as it was one of the first moves they learned, its base power was very high for a physical fire attack, and very few Pokémon could endure being clawed by a burning tiger. Granted, Steelix was definitely one such Pokémon, but Khan intended to try anyway. He ran up the raised Earthquake mounds and leapt, using all four of his limbs and their burning claws to land on her face, and then, he let his instincts take over, as he just flailed and roared wildly, dealing massive damage.

Dia tried to shake Khan off, and seeing she was struggling, Aria raised something that Alex was too focused on the battle to immediately notice. "Dia!" She shouted, as the fiery tiger cub mauled her. "Mega Evolve!"

"Oh, Muk…" Alex muttered, as he saw Dia's eye flick to her Trainer, and gave a slow nod, despite the ongoing mauling. Her body began shining, as her energy harmonized with her Trainer, and though their bond was new, the lines of Spiral Power and Infinity Energy connected flawlessly. Alex smirked. He'd always known he was not the only Redwood of his generation with a knack for battles. A wave of electromagnetic force pushed Noir off of Dia as she roared and glared at him. Alex started sweating slightly, as he and his heat emanating fire tiger faced down the Steelix who, to his eye, was looking very tempted to start rampaging.

"I'm not losing like this…" Khan snarled, and then roared, as fire erupted around his form, which began glowing bright white as well. Dia watched, her body slowly rotating in anticipation, as she let Khan finish. Once he was done, he looked magnificent with his burning mane, glowing fiery claws, and bits of flame fluttering in the air. He roared so loud, Dia wavered in the air, but Alex recognized a Hyper Voice when he saw one. The Mega Steelix's eyes narrowed, and a Rock Throw came for the fiery tiger, though its speed made it less of a throw and more of a rock-based machine gun. As a fan of earthbending himself, Alex took note of how she shattered it and then fired the pieces rapidly, but one at a time.

For his part, Khan's eyes were wide, and his mouth was exhaling fire. He glanced up quickly as he saw the rocky bullets shooting towards him, and with cat-like reflexes, slammed his paws in the ground. A genuinely powerful Earthquake, especially for a first-time attempt, rose and completely buried the stone bullets, before the wave of earth and sand fell back into the ruined battlefield. Dia blinked, as Khan Flame Charged, even further raising his newly heighted speed to a higher stage. Thanks to her evolution, she could see the burning tiger coming at her like a comet, but her body was reacting too slowly. All the Trailblazing had made Khan too fast.

"Protect!" Aria shouted, but by the time she had, Khan was already too close for the Mega Steelix to summon the nullifying barrier.

Seeing their chance, Alex finished it. Khan had already been stronger than Dia in terms of level, and now his evolution helped with that. All the newly grown Pokémon saw firsthand with Kalagon and now Khan, how evolving in battle worked out better. "Flame Charge, dodge the counter, and then Fire Claw!"

"Rock Slide!" Aria ordered confidently. Dia struck Khan with the speed and power of her form, but through the explosion of rock dust, the burning tiger came in hot, literally, and slashed across her jaw, leaving a rather bad rent in the steel there. Thanks to his speed, the Rock Slide had only grazed him. He was 'in the red' as they say, but still standing, and still capable of striking. Dia's form broke, as the pain made her faint, and as Khan landed, and saw his claws were still very much burning, he buried them in the ruined earth, but that just started to smoke.

Alex bamfed over to Dia, with a Max Potion. The wound was deep in one part, but less in the others, and Alex realized Khan must have noticed in the moment how hot he was burning, and how much damage he was doing to Dia, before drawing his deadly weapons back. Dia rumbled back to consciousness and growled as she felt Alex fiddling with her wound. "Oh hush. You'll be fine…Khan just burned a bit too hot…" Hot enough to melt a Mega Steelix by accident. He looked over at his fiery tiger, starting to see what all the hype was about, when he noticed that Khan still hadn't cooled down.

Alex walked over, as he kept burying his burning claws in the dirt, but they refused to go out. "You alright, bud?"

"I can't…put them out…" Khan snarled. The air grew hotter with his frustration, as did his claws. He looked up at his Trainer, eyes wide. They didn't have fear, he was too brave to feel such a thing, but he was concerned. He wouldn't be able to go indoors or have delicious human foods if he was always burning everything up.

"Khan." Alex said, locking their eyes. "It's your power. You control it. So, all you need to do, is keep calm. It's okay if you let it flare up in here. Sometimes you need to let the energy flow, before it'll fade away. You did evolve in a heated battle after all. Just breathe."

Khan nodded and closed his eyes. He recognized Tao's teachings, and he had great respect for the Legendary dragon. There were several tales of him in Eous and seeing him in reality had only confirmed the truth at the heart of those legends. Slowly, he took in the cool air of Cascaraffa, and exhaled the heat he used for battle, all while keeping his claws buried. They flared up, but then began to cool, as Alex had said, and eventually, they went out entirely. Relieved, Khan exhaled a deep breath, and purred against his Trainer. "Well done, bud. We'll work on controlling that heat…I didn't think you'd get hot enough to cut into a Steelix, but if you can do what even Diamonds can't, you're going to have to master controlling that if you want to Battle again. We don't need serious injuries. Your species are apex predators, like Salamence. Shruikan can help you control your base instincts."

Khan nodded, and Alex rand a hand through his warm, luscious mane. "We're finally ready for Selva Muerta. Right after…" He trailed off, as he saw a figure standing on the tier above the battling field, arms crossed, a wide grin on his weathered face. Blue and white obviously dyed hair framed Leader Kofu's somewhat comical features, but there was power in those eyes that reminded Alex of the ocean.

"Step right up now, an' tell me…" The Gym Leader boomed, "which one'uh you Redwoods am I beatin' first?"

Sahqoreyth · Jul 20, 2024

Chapter 56: Odyssey of Ascendance, Part 5

Pino Pokémon Lab, Florencia City - Italia Region

Cassius Proditor had once more disguised himself as a child after finally reaching Italia, mostly because of a rumor he'd heard about one of the starters Professor Pino gave out. Unlike other regions, there were multiple of each type, and each could easily be found in the wild at some point in a Trainer's journey, if they looked hard enough. Clauncher and Squirtle and sometimes Feebas were one such selection, Numel, Magby, and a fire typed regional variant of Rockruff were another, and the grass options were Smoliv, Budew, and sometimes Snowver. Proditor only had one goal here: find out where the Snowver were raised, as with his Future Sight, he had seen himself somehow reuniting with Optimus, and doing so required him to come here. Getting their location would be as simple as prying open the old Italia Professor's mind; the only problem was the child in front of him, and his inability to choose a starter. He knew it was a momentous occasion, but it had been ten minutes by this point, and he'd looked through his options three times.

More than that, there was something…off, about this child in particular. He had dark hair that had way too much gel in it, and his face looked stuck in a downcast expression. Adding to his weird vibe were the four very muscular men, each in black suits and wearing sunglasses despite being inside, who flanked the kid at all times. From their thoughts, they were just as irritated with the 'young master' and his inability to choose. Professor Pino looked like he wanted to help, but he was clearly afraid of the men in black, and it all clicked together, as Proditor heard the word the aged Professor called them inside his aging brain: Mafioso. The child belonged to one of the ruling classes in Italia, and while Proditor sensed psychic potential, he also wished he'd make up his Mukking mind already.

Seeing his chance to get acquainted with the powers that be, Proditor finally decided to stroll up to the kid. The guards shifted, but then, to all appearances he was just another brat waiting for a Pokémon, and apparently the 'young master' didn't have many friends. Proditor suspected most families in Italia kept their little ones from associating with the spawn of a mob boss. For good reason. Friends of heirs to the family very often ended up getting drawn into the 'family business' when they got older.

"Sup, fam." Proditor said, trying to emulate the patterns of speech he'd heard in his time at Naranuva Academy. "Having some trouble?"

The boy had dark hair, somewhere between brown and black, that curled over his narrow brown eyes and shined with the slick gel product that someone had put on his head. He was dressed like a typical rich kid, but had no hat, which was odd for a beginning Trainer, but probably wouldn't have gone well with that much gel. He looked at Proditor, and radiated guilt. "Sorry…you can go first if you know your pick…I just…can't decide."

Proditor nodded, tempted to just do that, ask the Professor for the information he wanted, and leave, but he did feel slightly bad for the kid. He also needed an in to the famously tight knit crime clans of Italia. Only Team Rocket openly recruited, but Proditor had no intention of tying himself to a sinking ship. Their newest Boss had apparently been rolled in battle by a ten-year-old multiple times, in Kanto. Or was it multiple ten-year-olds? He didn't remember, he just figured out from his research that Team Rocket was a joke, as was the Rossi Family, in Italia lately. Apparently, they'd botched some job in Paldea and had lost most of their skilled Pokémon Hunters to the International Rangers.

"I'd feel bad if I didn't help." Proditor lied. "What kind of Pokémon did you want for your starter?" The boy shrugged, and Proditor nodded, sagely. Helpful, this one. "Well surely you must like one Type over the others?"

"Fire…I guess." The boy said, frowning.

Proditor nodded, and then gave his two Pokécents. "You should go with Magby. Magmortar are very powerful, but only well-off people like you can afford their evolution item. That's probably why nobody has picked one, right Professor?"

Professor Pino was seemingly middle aged, with black hair and a goatee that was more salt than pepper. His head also had a few noticeable grays within it. He had standard physiognogamous traits commonly associated with Italia, which made him handsome, by Proditor's standards. He wore a lab coat over a collared burgundy shirt, and around his neck was a neatly wrapped scarf bearing patterns associated with ancient Italia, the Professor's primary field of study. A master of archaeology and anthropological research, he was the undisputed authority on ancient history in Europa. The Professor nodded sagely in response to Proditor's words. "It is a sad truth, but an accurate one. Magmar are hard to evolve, even with the item. Numel and Rockruff might only have one evolution, but they're much easier to train, and easily as versatile as a Magmortar."

"Yea, but that Move pool on Magmortar…" Proditor said, smirking. "Electric, Fire, and Ground Moves, limited but useful Psychic abilities. Very few things can stand up to a fully trained Magmortar."

The rich boy nodded, and cautiously approached one of the larger Magby in the area that contained the starters. Most were lounging peacefully in their corner of the lab. The grass types had almost all positioned themselves for some sun, the water types were splashing about in the small pool for them, and the fire types were as far from the pool as possible, and most were Magby. The kid walked up to the largest Magby. "Do you want to come with me?"

The Magby eyed the child, and then shot flames, small flames, into the air before him. The guards reacted, two of them drawing Pokéballs, but Proditor was quicker. "He's just testing you." Proditor said. "Magby like strength. You need to show him you're not weak."

"But I am weak…" The kid muttered, and Proditor chuckled.

"But with a Magby, you'd be strong. Go on. Order him to come with you." Proditor urged.

The child nodded. Professor Pino handed him Magby's ball, and the kid held it out to the fire type, who watched the humans converse with intelligent eyes. "I can make you into a Magmortar, Magby. Together we will be strong. Get in the ball."

The Magby glanced between Proditor and the rich child, and Proditor could tell it would've preferred him as a Trainer. His aura was stronger, and even baby Pokémon could tell that much. But he went into the ball regardless. Judging by his thoughts, he was very eager to become a Magmortar, though he wasn't exactly loyal, he'd have to be, if he wanted to become a Magmar.

The quiet kid's eyes widened, as he felt the weight of the ball, the heat that warmed his hand, and he looked at Proditor then. His tiny disguise's face smirked, as he sensed what came next. "Pick yours, then meet me outside. We should start out with a Battle. Like Red and Leaf did."

"Sure. I'll meet you outside." Proditor answered, and the child left, with his four bodyguards surrounding him at all times as he did. He could tell they were wary of Proditor for some reason, though he had no idea why such obviously accomplished and dedicated men, judging by their bodies, would be wary of a child as innocent as he thought he looked. His disguise had pale skin tones, purple eyes, and raven black hair. Not to mention the underlying darkness apparent whenever he smirked or showed enough emotion. He looked back, finally, at the Professor and said, "I need you to tell me where the Snowver around here live. Please."

Professor Pino raised a scraggly gray eyebrow. "Is that who you're picking? Going to let it visit its home one last time before setting off? Reminds me of the Champion, though she was rather unlucky when she came for a Pokémon. She just missed our last Squirtle, and all I had was a Minccino."

Proditor endured the man's rambling and took the opportunity to look around the lab properly. The sun cast a warm glow over the Renaissance villa nestled amidst Florencia's bustling streets. Ivy-clad walls embraced the centuries-old structure's exterior. The lab was thousands of years old, but many buildings in Florencia were just as old, if not older. Through the window, he could see a garden bursting with life, aromatic herbs, vibrant flowers, and ancient Arboliva that seemed to have stood in their spots for ages.

Inside the lab, frescoes adorned the walls, depicting scenes of mythological Pokémon battles intertwined with Italia's rich cultural heritage. Proditor smirked, at how wrong they'd gotten things, but he did recognize a familiar figure with an iconic bronze helmet trimmed with crimson dyed hair, clad in bronze armor, and wielding a long spear and shield. His iconic Rhydon was behind him. Proditor resisted the urge to break the ancient depiction. The lab itself had high ceilings supported by sturdy wooden beams weathered with age. The large windows were framed in heavy velvet curtains and rows of wooden workstations lined the perimeter of the room's walls.

Each workstation was a proper mess. Microscopes being used by Pino's aides had their lenses focused on delicate Pokémon fossils meticulously unearthed from ancient ruins around the region. Nearby, computer terminals hummed with the rhythmic pulse of data analysis, displaying the intricate genetic sequences of Pokémon species long thought extinct, that seemed to be appearing in Italia once again, over the last several years. Much like Orre and other regions, the Professors of the world had no solid theory as to why the Pokémon were returning to these areas, but they all agreed it was a good thing. Pokémon very obviously benefitted any environment they were left in, most of the time.

Glass display cases stood throughout the laboratory, showcasing a treasure trove of artifacts meticulously curated by Professor Pino and his team. Ancient pottery shards bore intricate patterns that spoke of a bygone era, while coins from ancient Italia made up the majority of his finds. Nestled among them were fossils of Pokémon surrounded by strange seven colored crystals, shimmering with the promise of untapped power. Weathered scrolls inscribed with runes took up the rest of the space, though their text was ancient, and written with Unown script, making them quite hard to read, given how much was eroded by time.

A large, pine desk stood at the heart of the laboratory, its surface strewn with maps, field journals, and an array of archaeological tools, a testament to Professor Pino's unwavering dedication to unraveling the mysteries of Italia's past. Behind the desk, ancient wooden shelves sagged under the weight of leather-bound tomes and rare manuscripts that had been gathered across the ages.

As Professor Pino turned around with a Pokéball, Proditor said, in his best child voice, "Actually Professor, I think I've decided I want a Budew instead." He pointed at a rather large one, that all the other Pokémon frolicking about in their corner of the lab were avoiding. It was massive by comparison, had a seemingly permanent angry scowl, and thoughts that Proditor found promising. Plus, in this age of shared Exp and pocket dimensions in one's pocket, there was absolutely no reason not to train up more useful pawns.

"Are you sure…?" The Professor asked, frowning. "That one is…rather hard to control. I was just going to release him back to the wild at this point, since he'll have a better chance of evolving there. He certainly hasn't wanted to…bond…" The Professor trailed off, as Proditor gestured to the small poisonous plant bud and it waddled over. It shrieked at him, but Proditor managed to pet it in a spot it liked. Its expression shifted to a happy one, before the scowl returned. The Professor shrugged and retrieved its ball. "Good luck…oh, and here's a map of where the Snowver live." He said, as his Rotom Phone, whose case made it look like he too was wearing a lab coat and a shirt with Italia's colors of green, white, and red, sent the information to Proditor's purple-cased Rotom Phone in under a second. Technology continued to astound him with how far they had come. In many ways, modern humanity had moved well past their crystal-wielding ancestors from the earliest days of resurgent human kingdoms and their new Pokémon allies. They had forgotten the power of aura, but they made up for it with ridiculous technology.

"I'll catch a wild one there. Thanks, Professor." Proditor said as he left the old building, and headed outside, only stopping as one of the Professor's aides handed him fifteen Pokéballs, free of charge. The child from earlier was waiting on a small Pokémon battlefield the Professor had adjacent to his garden, albeit with a wall of ancient stone and mortar separating the two. Seeing Magby was already out, Proditor released his Budew. His angry keening made Magby wince, and the young fire type glanced at his Trainer, worried that his weak nature would make him lose. Even the lab's fire types had avoided this particular Budew.

While there might have been an issue with a Budew this toxic for a normal child, Proditor had already spoken to the Budew in his mind, and promised to make him a beautiful, deadly Roserade. One whose poison would be capable of near instant death, or a state akin to it, once he embraced the Shadow. At the promise of real power, the Budew had agreed to become his. Sitting around in the sun had stopped making him strong, anyway. He needed a push, a human, to bring out his potential.

An awkward silence formed, as neither child said anything, and their Pokémon stared each other down. Finally, and somewhat impatiently, Proditor spoke. "You can go first. This guy is much higher level." His Budew looked at him with a look of pure betrayal, but the 'child' didn't even glance at the sentient sprout.

"Ember, Magby!" The boy shouted, "Then blind it! Smokescreen."

The Budew dodged the small ember on his own initiative, and Proditor stayed perfectly calm. "Growth." Budew began to get even bigger, at least until the Smokescreen blocked out the bright sun above them. "Wait for the next Ember, and then hammer it with Bullet Seed."

He heard the Magby fire off another Ember, but it seemed his smoke was also hampering his own aim. He heard Budew dodge, land, and then the rapid-fire sound of seeds hammering the general direction the Ember had come from fired off five times. The boy called for another Ember, but Magby just groaned in response. "It's weak." Proditor said, "Bullet Seed again." Budew stopped after two bursts of seeds and screeched in victory. The Smokescreen began to dissipate, revealing a fainted Magby.

Proditor smirked, "Well done…Rosator (Rose-ah-tor). Not bad at all for your first Battle." He recalled the violent Budew, and then looked at his 'rival'. His eyes were downcast, as he recalled his Magby. "I have things to do, kid, so uh…bye. See ya' around the Gyms."

Proditor walked off, and by the time the kid shouted for him to wait, realizing he'd just walked away without so much as naming himself, Proditor was already hopping through shadows, away from the area at a rapid speed. He'd run into the kid again, he was sure. Those who had battles like that at the start of their journey always ended up meeting again. It was part of his predecessor's wish. One language, to promote understanding. An unbreakable bond, cemented by a capture process, between sentients and Pokémon. And the energy from lives interacting with other lives, to create something new, and alive. The bond between rivals that pushed each other, and their Pokémon, to ever greater heights that were, in essence, infinite.

This was what the Holder of Arceus had wished for with his ultimate power, and these tropes had come to be cemented in this world, and many others, in the years since he'd made the wish. Proditor still saw it as a complete waste, but for once, his predecessor's bleeding heart would prove useful. He could stake out, and defeat, the first gym of the Italia region and if he hung around, he was sure to run into his rival. Hopefully he put up more of a fight, but Proditor wasn't worried. Both he and the Magby were weak, but now they had a drive to get stronger. Right now, all he wanted was to find his real starter Pokémon, and he had a feeling the Snowver would be able to lead him to Optimus.

Some time later, as the sun began to set, Proditor arrived in his adult base form at the place indicated on his Rotom Phone's map. He wasn't far from the Arche Valley, a place where denizens of the Sahara region had settled ages ago, bound together by their rather potent faith in the Alpha Pokémon. The valley had been created when the Imperator of Mankind had decided he wanted the seat of his Imperium, Olympia, to be closer to Germania, and Varangia. After the Judgement War concluded and those who felt Arceus's wrath were scattered to the wind, he had moved the largest mountain in the Mediterra range, and to this day it still stood where it had been placed. The resulting crater had, with time, become Arche Valley.

There were various small towns this far south in the Italia region, but Proditor had passed through them with his method of rapid shadow hopping. He hadn't even really looked at them, as he had a feeling he'd see them the slow way, if his 'rival' decided they should travel together. His thoughts had been so obvious Proditor hadn't even needed to violate his headspace to read them. He desperately wanted out from his family's shadow, to enjoy being a normal kid on a journey, and having someone to travel with would legitimize his desire. Or so the boy believed. Proditor doubted his father would just allow that, but then, from what he could tell, every crime family operated with different rules. Maybe his had a tradition of sending future crime bosses on journeys, like every other region did.

Thoughts of the boy faded, as Proditor walked into a grove hidden deep in the verdant forests of southern Italia. He was close to one of the truly massive Mediterra mountains, but before the slope up to the titanic peak rose too far, he came upon the Snowver's home. Just cold enough for snow to reach them, but low enough in altitude to grow enough berries, the ice and grass types had found a perfect balance, as they often did in the wild, in which to survive and thrive. As he entered their domain, two large male Snowver approached him, warning him away. Proditor simply waved a hand, having long since mastered controlling the minds of this species.

He'd used his fledgling powers on Optimus back in the day, and he had, without a doubt, mentally scarred the young Snowver in a way that had never healed right in the years that followed. Optimus had become a receptacle for his darkest emotions, and had by far the deepest Shadow infusion of any of his party members. In the end, he'd barely been conscious, mentally, as Proditor recalled those final days with a frown. A slavering beast, always in his Mega Form, and unstoppable in his rage.

He had the Snowver guide him to their patriarch and matriarch, as Snowver colonies typically had two leaders, who did not always end up being a mated pair. Some Abomasnow stuck to their partner, some were more casual and reproduced with whoever had seeds ready to grow, and that inevitably caused fights, but it seemed the two leaders he was brought to had consorts of their own, a male and female harem respectively, of other Abomasnow. Indeed, he'd never seen so many adults of the species living together in such harmony. They regarded him with suspicion as he was brought in by their guards, but they did not outright attack him.

With a subtle hand wave, he sent the Snowver back to their posts, and the matriarch watched them, concerned, and then looked at him, with distrust. She no doubt had some sense that trickery was being used, but the human had approached them with ease and peace. Something humans never usually did. Proditor spoke gently into their minds, though the simple grass and ice types still winced at the contact. "I seek an ancient Abomasnow. My first partner. He would be…thousands of years old, by now."

"The elders are sleeping." The male answered in his mind. Not with words, but emotions and images Proditor translated to speech within his own head. "Leave them be, Human. They are angry when disturbed." He saw images of humans trying to harvest them for lumber, and getting speared with icy roots for their trouble. Their lifeblood had only made the sleeping Abomasnow stronger.

"I only seek my partner." He answered honestly. "I will not wake the others. I may not even be able to wake him, but I need to try. I miss him. I owe him."

Finally, the matriarch spoke. "Your mind…is dark. But as long as you do not wake the others…you may search for your partner. In peace. Do not interact with our little ones!" She added forcefully, and Proditor nodded, giving her a smile as he spoke verbally.

"I will leave your young ones alone, find my partner, and then leave. Peacefully." The two Abomasnow slowly nodded at him, accepting his tone more than grokking his words, and he made his way out of their large, broken, ancient tree stump home, and further into the forest. As he ascended the massive mountain the slope got steeper quickly, but he also found the shapes of 'dead' Abomasnow, elders who had become so old or strong that it was easier to just sit in place year after year absorbing nutrients than walking about, slowly, eating berries and leaves. In fact, that was the fate of most grass types that outlived their humans. Eventually, after being in this 'tree form' long enough, their spark of life would fade, but Proditor knew Optimus wouldn't just go quietly into the night. He'd wait for his Trainer, like a good boy.

Some of the 'sleeping' Abomasnow in the grove looked like their Mega Form, albeit frozen and discolored. This high up on one of the Mediterra mountains, only ice types thrived. He noted a number of things growing from the Abomasnow corpse grove. Berries, old Earth fruits, and occasionally large green pine cones that would, when they fell to the ground, eventually grow into a Snowver. Their species didn't actually need partners for procreation, but having one greatly sped up the process of reproduction. They never actually stopped producing Snowver cones though, and this method of reproducing had ensured that their species survived and thrived for millennia. They were probably the most dominant species in the Mediterra mountains, at least at the lower elevations, and thankfully they were also the most friendly. Many an Abomasnow had saved humans caught in a blizzard from freezing to death, and as long as they weren't angered, they were generally wary or helpful to humans. Some, in resorts for snow sports, were exceptionally friendly, and well fed as a result.

Eventually, after a regular human would have long since succumbed to the cold, Proditor came upon a truly ancient and twisted tree, that nothing was growing upon. This part of the grove had the actual dead Abomasnow, those who had been without a spark of life or motility for thousands of years. It was here that he finally found his starter. In the vision, he'd seen himself kneeling before what he'd sensed was Optimus. Seeing the reality, however, Proditor fell to his knees because his starter was well and truly gone. His head had been chopped with something sharp, and there were signs of burn marks on his branches. Humans had done this, he had no doubt, but it had clearly happened so long ago that asking the Abomasnow about it would be useless. They were worse at recounting ancient events than humanity was. Murder filled his heart, but he knew the culprits were likely already dead by now, and killing their descendants would accomplish nothing. If he had to guess, his starter had waited for him, and while he had, the cones, and Snowver he'd produced, had inherited his top tier stats, and his Shadow infusion. Eventually, someone had figured out their source, and destroyed it.

He put a hand on the thoroughly charred bark of his oldest friend, and grimaced. Someone had been very thorough in scouring his partner. He blinked, as he felt one of his Pokéballs open, and he raised a brow at the Budew. Rosator. His new 'starter'. A partnership of convenience, at most. Proditor ignored him, forcing himself to take in every detail of his partner, and desperately look for a pine cone. But he knew better than that. There was nothing. Optimus was gone, and he couldn't even acquire one of his offspring.

For his part, the Budew saw the ancient dead grass type, and his new Trainer's reaction, and put one and two together. He also understood that made him number three, a third wheel, a second starter gathered for convenience. He'd known almost immediately that the small child was a disguise for the human beneath, but that had only made Rosator more interested in being his partner. The small humans irritated him, but some of the older ones could easily make him strong. He didn't know much about the world, but he hadn't just sat in the sunlight with his eyes closed. He'd watched the humans closely, and he knew with age came competence. His human's age had felt…incomprehensibly old, and thus Rosator assumed he would know how to make him into a deadly Roserade.

As he examined the dead Abomasnow, who seemed to be very important to his human, Rosator squinted at his mouth, screeched, and then hopped into it. Proditor frowned, but watched the sprout. He heard the cracking of bark, and fury overtook him. There was a lot of emotion that came with this revelation, and his new Budew made himself a lightning rod for it. "How dare you touch him! Get out of there you-" He paused in his tirade as he saw the mouth of his starter glow with green light.

The sound of rapidly fired seeds filled his ears, and then the Budew hopped back out of Optimus's mouth. He hopped over to Proditor and handed him a Snowver cone. After examining it, Proditor frowned. It was slightly green, but very much dead and frozen. It likely had been for centuries. He dropped it to the ground. "I don't need keepsakes…" He snarled at the Budew, but the sentient sprout could tell he was hurting.

"Budew!" He shrieked, before hopping towards the stunted Snowver cone. Proditor raised an eyebrow, but didn't stop him. He almost said something as the violent Budew took the seed in his mouth, as guessing by where he'd pulled it from that was gross, but then the Budew used Absorb on it. He felt anger as the last green his starter would ever produce was turned to black, but then, he hadn't wanted the keepsake.

The seed faded in a shadowy puff as Budew inhaled whatever dormant power was within through his grass typing. Proditor raised an eyebrow, as the Budew's color became lighter green, and the seeds that would become bouquets once he evolved turned black and light purple. Dark colored sparkles radiated from him, as he shrieked his dominance, and suffered from the pain of so many memories filling his tiny brain. Right now, they were a seemingly endless jumble that ended in pain, fire, and loss.

Proditor knelt down beside Rosator, and psychically calmed his mind. "That…was foolish. But you wanted his memories, eh?" The sentient sprout nodded. "Once you grow, you'll probably be able to see more. For now…Optimus lives on, in you. Rest, and return." Of Optimus's ball, there was no sign, and he sighed as yet another of his superior capture spheres was lost to him.

With a sigh he resigned himself to raising a new starter, and began heading for Aurelia, the region's capital, which was home to three of the region's gyms, though the Italia circuit had Trainers hit them for their first, third, and eighth badges. He wasn't super familiar with their types, but he wondered if he could solo the region with just his 'shiny' Budew. Either way his travels would bring him into contact with plenty of psychics. The potential he'd sensed in Florencia alone had practically made him drool in anticipation.

Cascaraffa City - Paldea Region

Alex smirked as Kofu made his appearance and asked his question. He shrugged at Aria. "Sorry cuz, priority goes to the Victor."

Aria just sighed, nodded, and took her spot by Isamu, who seemed to try to cheer her up. Kofu rode the escalator down to the arena level, not nearly flamboyant enough to jump, like some of his contemporaries might have. He cracked his knuckles and rolled his burly neck as he spoke. Alex recalled Khan, as he listened.

"Four on four. No substitutions. World Tournament rules." Alex nodded, though he had a bad feeling about how this one would go. Kofu seemed to be in some kind of groove, probably thanks to his recent accolades. "Go! Pelipper!"

Alex contemplated picking Leo, but he remembered Temere also was strong enough now, and could use a workout. "Temere. It's time to Rock!" As the poisonous rock lizard appeared, he started belting out the opening chords to Rivers in the Desert. As Pelipper's Drizzle started to make it rain, electricity arced through the air as Temere just kept progressing through the song.

Seeing that Alex was more into head bopping at the moment, Kofu seized the initiative. "Blow this beat back to the past, where it belongs! Hurricane!" The powerful Pelipper let off a massive Hurricane, but Temere didn't let that stop him. In fact, as the winds lifted into the air he looked like a proper Rock God, and the spinning ineffective damage only served to turn his rock anthem into an electric hurricane with the rain's help.

Alex smirked, shouting out over the jamming crowd, "Send it back! Rock'em with your Hurricane!" Catching what his Trainer was putting down, Temere shifted songs, and the electric cyclone began spinning towards Pelipper. Kofu tried to shout for a Blizzard, but it was too little too late. Electricity surged through the Pelipper, and Temere rode the dying winds to the ground right as he hit the guitar solo for the song, Rock You Like a Hurricane. Kofu's eyes narrowed at how nonchalant his opponent was being, and brought out his next pick. Veluza.

Alex straightened up, as this was Kofu's ace, or one of them anyway, and it had type advantage. "Discharge!" Alex blinked, as the Toxtricity changed his strumming to a low, rapid beat, as he prepared his next tribute to the only deities he paid homage to; the Gods of Rock'n'Roll. Kofu and his Veluza shared a look, as its notoriously fast speed went into play, and a pair of Psychic Fangs manifested around its actual fangs. "Any day, Tem…" Alex said, as the rapid, but low beat continued.

In his head he heard Temere's far too casual voice, "I'm thinking…Eye of the Incineroar. Astrum? Leo?" There was approval from the majority of the team, though a few holdouts like Canis and their Trainer preferred Tem to take things just a bit more seriously. Thus far, Temere had been strumming out his beat with one hand causing his body to spark with building electric power, and then, in the same instant that Veluza neared him with Psychic Fangs, he hit the first notable note of Eye of the Incineroar, and a wave of high-powered electric Discharge smashed through the attack and sent its user reeling with an absurdly lucky critical hit. Temere wasn't done though, as the beat kept going, and then he hit his rubbery but oh-so-musical chest organ once, twice, three times more, another trio of strums, followed, and then another. By this point, his Discharge was still going, had formed a spherical electric barrier that Veluza kept getting hit by, as it just kept expanding, and Temere was just there, rocking out in the middle of the electric chaos solely because he could. The crowd ate it up. Kofu had trained his team to a solid eighty in terms of level, if not higher, but the higher a Pokémon went, the harder it was to gain Exp and the longer it took to reach the final plateau, that was by no means the end.

Temere had learned that the more he played, the faster songs and chords he found, the harder it was for his opponents to stop what he put down. Between his own wins and the Exp gain from the rest of the team, he'd reached the same plateau as Canis, Nox, Arbor, and Cinder had. A strength to rival the first string battlers. His power didn't keep Kofu from attacking though, as the Water Type Master could recognize the hubris that came with strength, when he saw it. What irritated him most was his Trainer letting his Toxtricity rock so hard he filled the entire arena with dangerous levels of electricity. The shields weren't really meant for sustained blocking, and soon they'd start to draw on the city's power instead of their own battery network.

"Night Slash, and Psycho Cut, Veluza!" The fumbling fish rolled in the air, getting its bearing before Night Slashing into the Discharge. Temere, who by now was almost through Eye of the Incineroar, just glanced at the psychic blades, and bolts of intense plasma from the top of the electric dome reduced them to smoke.

"Finish it, Tem." Alex said quietly, yet somehow, Kofu heard him perfectly. He grimaced. He was nowhere near done yet.

"Again! Psychic Fangs this time! Use Aqua Jet too!" The Veluza jettisoned its spare flesh, as it felt its Trainer's resolve.

Temere's luck from earlier turned as his shift to a Thunderbolt mid song made his chest screech, in a bad way, as his attack completely whiffed. Then, Veluza was there, and the damage from the rapid, multiple chomps of Psychic Fangs took the rock lizard down hard. Alex frowned and recalled him. "Leo."

The thunder cat appeared with a roar, and Alex didn't waste time, they couldn't, against a Veluza. "Discharge, full spread!"

"Think I can't deal with Electric Pokémon? Drill Run!" Now that Veluza wasn't being overpowered by a type weakness and an overwhelming attack fueled by pure Rock'n'roll, it could focus enough to form the ground typed energy it had learned to wield. It barreled towards Leo, through his Discharge, and hammered him hard, but the thunder cat had countered on his own, with Ice Fang. The pair of Pokémon exploded from the move collision.

"Crunch, Leo!" Alex shouted, but he couldn't really see past the explosion, and there was an ungodly shrieking sound coming from within the dust cloud, as the ferocious fish filet faced off against the thunder cat. Finally, Alex heard Crunch land, and a fainted Veluza was spat from the fading cloud towards Kofu, as a very injured Leo snarled at him.

Alex frowned, as Kofu sent out his third, a Wugtrio, and probably the only other team member he had capable of ground moves. Leo had a counter for his weakness too, though. Trailblaze had been a very popular move with a surprising amount of his team, and there had been a solid few days where those who could, had blazed it up and had a blast doing so. Their frolicking had helped them learn the move, which was fine by their Trainer, so long as they learned it. Sure enough, the Earthquake came from the powerful Wugtrio as all three heads, heedless of pain apparently, smashed into the ground and produced a fair-sized Earthquake, for a water type that wasn't a mudfish or a mud frog.

Leo Trailblazed his way into a masterful Thunder Claw, or at least, he thought he did. "Sucker Punch." Kofu said. The exposed crimson heads suddenly jerked upwards at Leo, and he lost his focus as their shape disturbed him on a level he couldn't articulate. Then, they hammered him with dark energy. He went skipping across the field, tried to rise, and then fainted, and Alex started to sweat as he became tied with Kofu again. "Arbor. You're up." His Sceptile popped out of his ball at his Trainer's command and got ready. "Mega Evolve! We're done holding back."

Kofu raised and clenched a fist. "You fool! I just won…Wugtrio, Blizzard!"

Alex smirked. "Block with Rock Tomb!" With a smooth movement worthy of an earthbender, Arbor raised a rocky shield around himself, though some of the ice managed to get through. "Now, Sunny Day! And draw in all of Temere and Leo's electricity!" A seed from Arbor's tail shot out of his stone fortress, burning high in the sky with the light of the sun, even though night was swiftly covering the desert. Then, the residual energy from Temere's attack that had been electrifying the terrain, zipped towards the Mega Sceptile's tail, as his attack power rose again.

"Charge Blizzard, and unload on it when it attacks." Kofu said, calmly.

"Get close! Agility, and then Detect!" The Blizzard went off as Arbor poked his head out after using Agility, and then with Detect, he managed to dodge his way far up above the Blizzard. "Solar Beam!" Alex shouted. Arbor rocked in the air as the powerful grass beam fired immediately from his mouth, and Wugtrio didn't have a chance to dodge, not that it could have with how slow it was compared to a Mega Sceptile.

Kofu recalled his Wugtrio, and then glared at the Mega Sceptile, and his Trainer. At least he was being more serious now. He grabbed a rather old Luxury Ball then, one he'd upgraded his starter to, after he got too strong to really ever be used in a Gym Battle. Someone in the sizable crowd shouted, "Holy Muk! He's bringing it out!"

Alex blinked and looked around as the crowd started cheering. Evidently, they knew something he didn't. He had Arbor refresh the Sunny Day as Kofu dithered, and the seed he launched regrew rapidly. Alex tried to make out the crowd's words but couldn't as it all sounded like a jumble. At least until Kofu shouted, "Go! Crocpot!"

A Feraligator at the peak of its power appeared from the Luxury Ball it called home, and stretched its massive, muscled body, as it eyed Arbor, and smirked confidently. "Oh my Arceus! He brought out the Crooocpooot!" One fan yelled, foaming at the mouth, before he fainted from overexcitement. Alex just blinked. Apparently, Crocpot was a big deal. Alex just kept trying not to laugh at the name. "Crocpot. Ice Punch…and don't let up." Kofu ordered, and the Feraligator grinned, before it fell onto all fours and scurried towards Arbor.

"Seed Bomb! Tangle it up!" Arbor fired a bombard of seeds at the speedy water gator, but the seeds sprouted where they landed, damaging Crocpot and slowing him with large vines that he had to waste time and energy punching through. "Perfect." Alex said, smirking. "Triple Solar Beam, go!" Though it burned up his Sunny Day faster, Arbor summoned the ferocious grass move's power in both hands, and his mouth, and then fired on the entangled gator.

Silence reigned, as the crowd waited for the smoke to clear, and only Arbor's panting filled the air. Then, Alex noticed it. "Arbor! It can Dig!" Given Feraligator's potential for other ground moves, and its claws, learning to Dig probably hadn't been too hard to do in a desert biome. Arbor didn't wait, he jumped, but it was already too late. Crocpot burst from the ground with Dig, fists covered in ice, and began pummeling the Mega Sceptile in the air with three combinations of double Ice Punches. Arbor fell, his Mega Form fading, and Alex grimaced. This thing was going to be hard to beat, especially without his anti-water team.

"Send out yer own starter!" Kofu shouted confidently; arms crossed. "Unless yer scared of another quadruple Ice weakness!" Crocpot laughed at him and smashed his icy fists together.

Alex ignored their jibes and closed his eyes. A brief Future Sight never hurt. What he saw did, however, hurt quite a lot. Terra would lose. Hard. Nine times of ten, and even with Thick Fat, it was an all but guaranteed loss because of a lack of speed and a way to keep distance between him and Crocpot. Even if Alex got clever and used Saur instead, he saw the Feraligator chomping through his vines with Ice Fang, and then pummeling him with Ice Punch as well. Thanks to Sheer Force, those moves were even more brutal. His partners wouldn't be frozen but taking more damage with a quad weakness was a guaranteed loss. If only there was a way to…

Alex smirked confidently, as his shift in his plan for the battle changed his future to one that had far, far better odds. More confident now, he opened his eyes. "Terra!" His Torterra appeared as he heard his name, and glanced at his Trainer, somewhat surprised given what was on the line and what Future Sight had shown. There was just one problem with Future Sight; he'd assumed he'd use Mega Evolution, like he usually did, but a Tera type would only have one weakness, and that would be enough to match Crocpot. Besides, Terra also had a move he wanted to employ after basking in the sun all day and being inspired by their anime, like Alex had been. He raised his Tera Orb, and Kofu smirked, nodding in approval. The best way to nullify a quadruple weakness was to remove the weakness entirely, or at least lessen it. "It's time, Terra…" Alex sent Espeo's ball subtly into the crowd, just in case the energy barriers failed, and the subtle psychic cat idly licked a paw, waiting to act if necessary.

"Verdant Cataclysm!"

As Alex chucked the Tera Orb and his starter became covered in a green tinted crystalline shield that caused flora to spring up around his titanic feet, Terra roared at Crocpot, and then began one of his ultimate moves. First, he used Curse, which for him manifested as an ominously glowing Taijitu sphere on the trunk of his tree. Seeing that, Crocpot launched forward, also becoming covered in crystalline aura as Kofu tossed his own Tera Orb, though his was ice. Now he'd be even stronger.

Seeing the change, Terra switched tactics, as the entire lower city began to rumble. Huge vines sprouted all around the battlefield at his command, and he rose atop one far above Crocpot's immediate reach. The field's box-shaped energy barrier became akin to a forest made of massive, twisted tree trunks, and Alex had to admit, there were definitely some strong Senju Clan vibes from this attack. Especially as Terra adapted to his opponent's change of type weakness, and used the vines to grab large rocks. He proceeded to brutally hammer Crocpot with them. The first struck hard, but the nimble alligator dodged the second and third, only to then crumple as a surprise fourth hammered him from his blindspot. A fifth rock-vine struck. Then a sixth. Then a seventh. Frenzy Plant could probably have kept going, but Terra paused, as he saw the Terastal Shield shatter amidst the dust of his strikes.

Then, suddenly, Kofu shouted, "Ice Fang!"

"Grassy Glide and Wood Hammer!"

Lacking his shield, but still conscious, a very damaged Crocpot leapt with ease now that the vines had settled, up towards Terra, fangs encased in ice. Terra didn't run though. He waited by the edge of his perch, and when the Feraligator leapt for his head, he glided back. Crocpot landed and kept attacking, but Terra was already gliding forward again, shifting his momentum into the powerful grass attack. The two collided, suffering damage as they entered a contest of strength. Slowly, thanks mostly to the Tera boost, the ice around Crocpot's fangs cracked, and shattered, and with a roar Terra sent him flying through one of the large, raised branches. With less momentum, he hit another and fell, very unconscious by that point, to the ground.

Terra roared his dominance loud enough to be heard across the desert, and then slowly started trying to retract the massive roots that had sprouted into trees. Kofu started moving towards Crocpot and found his path opened by Terra. He gave the mighty but very wounded grass tortoise a nod, and then tended to his starter.

Alex did the same, bamfing up beside him, and frowning at just how hurt he was. "That was…way too close…I need to remember Terastallizing is an option, now."

Terra snorted. "My Mega Form could have handled it."

Alex shook his head. "Thick Fat does help, but not against a beast like that. If you hadn't gone all out with that Move, that might've ended badly."

"Speaking of…" Terra rumbled, as Alex realized he was embarrassed, "These roots…or trees now I suppose…they are much harder to remove…they seem, umm, permanent."

"Of course they are…that's alright, bud. Take a rest." Alex chuckled and recalled his partner. He floated down to Kofu, who offered a burly arm. Alex shook it, with a nod, noting with amusement that his first battle with a powerful water type master in a new region had also been rather close. History continued to repeat, which meant if he wasn't careful next would be…a massive black tail flashed through his mind, as well as the sickening crunch of bones. His bones.

He suppressed the image, and focused on Kofu, blinking away his trauma. "That was a great Battle, Leader Kofu." Alex started, as the handshake ended.

Kofu's face shifted to a slight frown. "I 'dunno 'bout that start…yer Toxtricity seemed more interested in his music."

Alex chuckled, "That's just how their species Battles…I think. I'm impressed your Veluza managed to slash through it."

Kofu nodded, as a proper smile took over now. "If ya say so." He handed Alex the Water Badge then, and Alex eyed the small metal circle. "Now, about these trees…" He said, gesturing to the remnants of Terra's move.

"Yeeaa…" Alex said awkwardly, "Apparently Terra can't-" At that moment, his Gallade decided to pop out, and he smirked at humans, before vanishing with nothing but his speed. Kofu stroked his blue and white beard as he watched the Gallade, clearly impressed.

Within five minutes the spiral slashing Gallade had reduced the massive limbs to lumber, and he'd even neatly stacked them, as he slashed them into place. "Uhh…" Alex said, as his Gallade landed and bowed before the now once more visible crowd. "Free lumber…?"

Kofu let out a belly laugh and slapped his shoulder companionably. "I'm sure we can put it to use! And he even stacked it off of the field! That Gallade o' yours is impressive, Dragon Emperor. You gonna stay fer your cousin's match?" Alex nodded, and he let Arthur stay out for the crowd's adulation. Apparently fresh lumber was pretty hard to come by in a desert town that was unwilling to tarnish their local flora in the name of practicality.

Aria seemed nervous as she looked at her cousin and saw him recording for posterity. Kofu gave her the usual spiel, and then the battle began. Given how suited she was for facing water types, the battle was over quickly. Even when Kofu Terastallized his Crabominable to a water type, Aria kept her cool and Terastallized her Floragato, whose Seed Bomb one shot the Crabominable, like it had everything else. As the Crabominable fainted, her Floragato started shining, and she lost her cool as her eyes went wide, and she recorded the evolution from a closer perspective. The two hugged as they celebrated and claimed their victory. Kofu gave them their winnings, their TM, and their badge, and then he made a joke about getting rolled by both Redwoods, after calling them out.

He didn't seem in bad spirits though, as he sauntered off confidently to the Pokémon Center. Isamu congratulated her as she came back, and she looked shyly up at her cousin, which amused him. "So, how did I do, cuz?"

Alex pretended to think seriously for a moment, and then the smirk broke through. "You rolled him, Aria. Flattened, rolled up, and tossed aside I believe is the terminology. And you were at his team's level, too. I only have one note…that maybe I should've followed as well. Terastallize early." She and Isamu just looked at him, as though he was strange. "What? Why not? Every Gym in this Region is mono typed. You face a Psychic? Terastallize early with Dark or Bug. You face an Ice user? Terastallize early with Fire or Rock or Fighting. Honestly I don't know why Trainers here don't do that more."

Isamu chuckled. "It's a uh…cultural thing. Apparently, it's bad manners to Terastallize early. It's usually saved for the end part of a Battle, and for a finishing move."

Alex just smirked at him. "I know you know how El Primero conducts his Battles. I saw his Gym circuit. He Terastallized early all the time. Still does."

"Florian senpai is more the Exception, than the rule…though you do have a point…he made the Gyms look easy, and part of that was because of the Titan Pokémon he and his group brought down, but the other part was strategy and Terastallizing early." He blinked at Aria. "Your cousin may be onto something."

She just giggled at Isamu. "Well he is the Victory League Champion. That wouldn't work all the time, though. Chairwoman Geeta and El Primero are both multi-Type users. In that case…we'd want to Terastallize when they do…?" She trailed off, looking to Alex for wisdom.

He nodded. "Ideally, you'd know the Tera Types of her team beforehand, but that seems a bit…cheap to me. I would rather guess what their Tera Type is. I'm not usually wrong. But yes, you'd want to switch after they Terastallize, if you can't counter the Type they become. It doesn't seem to increase their health or defense too much, so as long as you have something that usually faints whatever Type they become, you should be fine."

After a moment, Isamu asked, "What about Stellar Tera Types?"

Alex blinked at him. "Stellar whatnow?"

He seemed disappointed, but then, it was common knowledge that he'd only just gotten a Tera Orb. "Stellar Types. They retain the weaknesses of their original Type, and for every Type of Move a Pokémon can use, they get a STAB boost to the first attack with that Type. But it only works once, outside of Tera Dens."

Alex frowned and called up Lux to view his boxes. "I don't think I even have a…hahaha…of course he is." A quick check revealed that the rest of his team did not have Stellar Tera Typing, but there was one exception to that rule, and that exception was Arthur.

Sensing Alex wanted to leave, and was talking about him, Arthur bid their fans farewell, and bamfed over. "Talking about my flawless sword strokes, are we?" He asked the trio.

"No." Alex said, with a taunting tone. "We're discussing the fact that you're a very special boi."

Arthur crossed his arms and snorted. "I think we've all figured that out by this point. But…hold on, how am I even More special now?" He said, hearing the thoughts of the rest of his brothers, who'd started chanting 'very special Sword Boi' in their heads.

Alex repeated what a Stellar Type was, and how it worked, and Arthur pondered the information that he had, apparently, been one his entire life. "Huh." Was all he contributed, as he processed the information. With how many types of physical slashing attacks, even ghost ones, he could perform, he started to understand why. Ghost energy was a weakness, but he'd learned to manipulate it. Enough to punch things, anyway.

"Alright guys," Alex said with a tone of finality. "I have some Polteageist to harvest for shards, and then I'm off to…train before the Battles for the Superior Sixteen slots."

Isamu grinned at him. "Number nine in the world, after beating Kofu. Are you sure that's the spot you want?"

Alex shrugged. "As long as I'm in the top thirty-two, my spot won't matter. Not until the Battles for the right to hold one of those slots are held. I'm not going completely off the grid. If I fall too far behind and the number of points to catch up becomes unsurpassable, I'll have to come back and…I dunno, Battle my way through Galar. Their Gym Leaders are always highly ranked, and eager to Battle."

Aria spoke up, then. "Would you…travel with us to Alfornada Town? Your Polteageists will be out there, in large numbers."

Alex shook his head. "It's best if you and Isamu go on your own. I don't want to interfere with your journey, and I need to take care of a few things once I leave Paldea."

Isamu typed some numbers into his Rotom Phone, and then showed Alex the calculator. "Actually, judging by the base speed of Salamence, traveling with us would only slow you by, at most, half a day, and uhh…I would like it if you traveled with us for a bit too. The cave we need to traverse is…a lot. Multiple steep slopes. Home to multiple Dragon Types. It's a Garchomp breeding ground, but it's also the best place to catch one."

After pondering for a while, Alex nodded. "Alright. I'll go with you two, for a bit." He turned then, as he heard a familiar voice calling out his name. "Seems Adrien and Marinette have caught up. Good." He waved them over, gave introductions, and could already tell Aria was a big fan of Marinette's. "The Leaning Tower is also near Alfornada Town, so you two can join us. The route there is a large cave with a high population of Dragon Types, and probably anything strong enough to survive with them. The larger our group, the better chance we don't get attacked by a wandering Garchomp."

"We'd be happy to travel with you guys." Adrien said, "Connor told me I was ready to become a Scale in full. He left the final decision to you, though Alex."

Alex looked between the two teens, and then paused, as he looked a bit closer. Body language told quite a tale, and judging by theirs, they'd solidly cemented their romance. If they were old enough for that they were old enough to function as Scales. He'd still need to test them, of course. "If I'm promoting one of you, I'll promote the other, too. Marinette is probably as ready as you are by now, Adrien. I'll test the two of you when we camp on the road tonight. If you pass, you'll be free to uhh…return to Kalos, once you've seen Paldea's sights."

Quietly, Marinette looked up at him and said, "You really think I'm ready?"

Alex smirked at her. "Tikki does. She has for a while now. I trust her judgment, but it's always good to be sure. I'll face you two in a Double Battle, with a team comparable to what you might find in the Elite Four of any Region. If you can beat me, you'll be able to handle pretty much any threat Kalos throws at you. And you'll also have Connor around to back you up, as needed."

With their course set, the group of Trainers healed their teams, and then set off on the path adjacent to the desert that would lead them towards distant Alfornada. Western Paldea's Area One was actually quite beautiful at night and Alex had them keep one partner out, just in case. They were all riding on Terra, who had learned to glide through the earth and grass at a standard walking pace, without it being too tiring. Tikki was sitting in his tree's branches, while Plagg was draped on one of the monolithic pointed stone spikes that grew out of the massive earth tortoise, watching their rear. Leif was snuggled up between his favorite Redwoods, and he was happy, judging by the scent he gave off.

Isamu had opted not for Zyx, which was what he called his main Zygarde Core, but rather Kanchi, his Riolu, who was chatting with Canis near the middle of Terra's shell, under his tree. The local camping Trainers watched them pass in awe, and it was in this manner that they managed to cross the vast space of Area One, all the way to the border with Area Six, and the entrance to Alfornada Cavern.

Alex let Kalagon out as their guard by the cave entrance, while everyone else set up dinner, and their usual preparations for binging some anime. Then, finally, once they'd all eaten, Alex took Adrien and Marinette out to a space suited for battling, and as their Pokémon came out, they cleared the roaming, wild, but friendly Pokémon out of their way. A few stayed to watch once Alex heard Tikki explaining what they were about to do.

For his part, Alex was picking his own partners. "One round, two on two, for practice, using World Tournament rules." He finally settled on Invictus and Astrum, while the pair of aspiring superheroes went with their two strongest partners. Astrum had been sleeping until recently, as the events in Koria and then with Alduin had left him quite drained. When he did finally awaken, he claimed that the world felt a little brighter, and now that Alex thought about it, that'd been right after he and his allies had essentially ended world hunger.

The teenagers had a brief strategy meeting as they saw his choices, and how strong they were. Astrum was a bit lower level than the others, but Invictus made up for that with his higher level and absurd defense. Canis acted as their referee, and as he began the battle, Alex seized the initiative. "Invictus, tank their attacks, Astrum, Moonblast the Liepard!"

Plagg had moved in front of Tikki to be her damage sponge, but his eyes widened, as he saw the golden feathered Togekiss taking aim at him with an almost disturbing look of serenity as he engaged in battle. A super effective sphere of Moon doom formed above Astrum as Invictus readied his arms to block. Panicking as their plan immediately went to Muk, Marinette shouted, "Tikki, Bullet Punch!"

Alex just smirked. "That won't be enough, Padawan." Astrum rocked in the air as he fired off his ridiculously powerful attack. Tikki raised her fists, confident she could at least deflect the beam of fairy power, but as she quickly required her other set of arms to block too, she grunted from the effort, and was then swallowed by the width of the attack. She managed to weather the attack, and keep it from Plagg, but the brightness from the move momentarily kept the Liepard from attacking.

"Again, Astrum! Invictus, Pin Missile!" As Astrum charged his attack, Invictus's pins went up and through the Moonblast, and became wreathed in fairy energy, as the now quadruple effective move hurtled towards Plagg.

"Faint Attack!" "Bug Buzz!" Plagg disappeared, while Tikki launched her attack at the tank-like war hedgehog. Invictus was smirking though, just like his Trainer.

"Spiky Shield. You know what to do, Astrum." Alex said confidently as he crossed his arms. Astrum had continued charging his Moonblast, and now the darkness seeking Fairy Missiles were tracking Plagg as he tried to approach for his attack.

The Spiky Shield fired rather large but still somehow not very effective spikes into Tikki while Invictus tanked the Bug Buzz. As Adrien saw what was coming, he shouted, "Forget the attack Plagg! Get out of there!" Still hiding for his attack, the barely visible Liepard danced around the Fairy Missiles with impressive dodges. Adrien clenched a fist as their momentum began to shift. "Good, now Iron Tail!"

"You may fire when ready, Astrum." Alex said, chuckling as the fairy type cried with pure, undiluted joy as it fired its potent fairy death beam at the mostly invisible shiny Liepard. His Iron Tail became defensive, as the sheer size and power of the Moonblast threatened to overpower even his mighty tail, which when turned to steel became a rather wicked looking scythe. "Invictus, Close Combat, and counter her Moves as you see fit. Watch out for Air Slash." Tikki had just finished pulling out his massive spines from her comparatively small frame when the mighty Chesnaught began stomping towards her, fists alight with fighting energy.

As the Moonblast finally ran out of steam, Plagg shouted, "Now, Adrien!"

The blonde teen sighed heavily, and then with as much fake enthusiasm as he could muster shouted, "Iron Reaper…!"

"SOUL STEALER!" Plagg shrieked, as his scythe tail became a steel gray blur. Astrum cried out as the special Liepard hit him critically with three deep steel-colored slashes across his chest and got his team a much-needed faint. The Liepard's dark eyes shifted to Invictus, and he melted into the shadows.

Alex manually pumped a Heal Pulse into Astrum's ball, which the technology magnified, making it akin to a trip to a Pokémon Center. Plagg's attack had been rather brutal, but he had a feeling the dark type hadn't meant to hit quite so hard. He'd likely just been caught up in another of his special attacks, probably from some anime. After learning the truth behind Plagg's power, as well as its dark source, that Adrien had shared with himself and Connor, Alex could forgive the wounds that had been inflicted. It remained to be seen if Astrum would. Alex frowned, as he suspected his Togekiss would now probably stay in his ball until the fierce Liepard wasn't around, and Alex couldn't blame him. He felt guilt from Adamanteus and addressed his entire team as he and Invictus locked eyes and nodded. "This is the price of power. You have to have perfect control of your element, or you Will hurt someone without meaning to. Like Yveltal does."

Alex's body flared with blue aura, radiating from his Key Stone as he activated it. Invictus's Infinity Energy met Alex's Spiral Power in the space between them and catapulted him to the next stage of his species evolution. His shell grew to encase his lower body, like a turtle, and almost reminiscent of a Blastoise, the four large spines on the back of his shell became cannon-like, and the much smaller pair on his 'shoulders' were also similarly changed, but had smaller spines loaded in them. Invictus flexed the grassy buckler shields he could form at will on his forearms, and then the upper two spike-cannons lightly shot their payload into the air. Two more spines immediately replaced them from within the shell, and Invictus grinned wickedly as he caught the massive, blade-sharp quills by their shafts, and fell into a battle crouch.

He seemed to have retained his typing, but Alex didn't have time to check his ability. They hadn't had him fight in this form too often, as his base one still needed work, but he was comfortable enough to battle. By crouching, Invictus quickly became ingrained in the ground as Tikki and Plagg came in towards him. While holding his quills, he was essentially a spiny fortress of pain for anything that tried attacking him physically. Plagg found out first, as he tried to land his Faint Attack, and then went wide eyed as the attack power of a Mega Chesnaught sent him a solid thirty feet in the air with a super effective Power Up Punch channeled of course, through the painfully sharp and probably poisonous quill-sword he used.

Plagg slowly stood up by his Trainer, a testament to just how strong he was, and Adrien gave him a Full Restore. His wounds healed and his poisoning faded, as he whirled on Invictus. Seeing how badly Plagg fared, Tikki had kept her distance. The Liepard nodded at Tikki, and then Alex heard him shout to his Trainer, unnecessarily as they were close now, "It's time Adrien! To go beyond my limits! Beyond Evolution!"

Adrien just shook his head, but he was still smirking. "Plagg. Mega Evolve." To someone who had seen Sombrador, Alex recognized the lineage Liepard clearly shared with it. Long saber fangs grew downward from its canine teeth, another tail sprouted, and both became black, with a sheen like metal and a shape like a scythe. Plagg's eyes were glowing red, as were his spots, and to confirm Alex's theory, he'd also become part dragon type. A dark dragon with strong feline features.

Tikki joined him a moment later in her own humanoid Mega Form, and the two shared another nod, before they vanished. "Now, Invictus." The smirking Chesnaught grinned with a look that seemed…evil? Sinister? A ghostly light flared around him, not for the first time, as he took a page from Terra, and utilized Curse with the only move that might be able to get him a win. Frenzy Plant. With blurring speed, Invictus fired off his quill cannons, and slammed the two quills in his fists, both now glowing with a ghostly Taijitu symbol, into the ground.

Once again, Plag and Tikki were forced on their back foot to defend themselves, or faint. Tikki was brutally smashed multiple times by massive surging vines that sprouted from each quill in the field, which while powerful, Invictus had purposely made to dematerialize, once the battle had ended. He was also well aware that he could not conjure anything near the size of the forest Terra had created, not yet anyway, but his vines were more than enough. Even with two scythe tails and ninja-like speed, Plagg also took a pummeling, but it was Tikki who saved them, as her brutalized body suddenly flashed with a surge of bug typed energy.

"Bug Buzz!" Marinette shouted, and Tikki immediately fired the waves of empowered green sound at Invictus. "Aerial Ace!" Adrien added, and though Invictus's vines blocked the first of the damaging bug sound waves, they'd also burned through a lot of Frenzy Plant's power as the vines caught in their path simply broke apart against the waves of empowered bug energy. Tikki followed her attack with a brutal Air Slash that hammered Invictus and made even the mighty Mega Chesnaught shudder from his quadruple weakness. Then there was Plagg, and his ridiculous speed, following up with a double Aerial Ace worthy of the Japanese Samurai who'd created the technique that Pokémon, and later the Silph Corporation, had turned into a TM. That masterful strike fainted Invictus, who was still exhausted from the Frenzy Plant, and didn't have the energy to even curl up and defend. Flying type moves were simply the bane of his power, especially Air Slash, which was a special attack move. He may have been an unstoppable burly tank, but his specialty was blocking physical attacks. Bullets, energy weapons, even most other moves, including fire, could be blocked by his Mega Form's nearly impenetrable body. Flying types were the exception to that rule.

Alex walked over, and fed a Max Revive to Invictus, who sat up with a groan, and let out a deep sigh. Alex patted the spiky boi, smirking. "You did great, bud. We're just going to have to work on resisting attacks with empowered air. Like Terra had to learn to deal with ice. It still faints him, but it doesn't make him lose focus anymore, which is useful in countering it." Mentally, he spoke to his grass starters, as Arbor also had a quadruple weakness. "We're going to try to nullify, or at the very least lessen the sheer amount of damage a quadruple weakness brings. Gelauros is going to be working with many of you, since Ice is very much the gap in our armor." He felt those with a quadruple ice weakness, namely also Kalagon, groan. "None of that. I share that weakness…and I wouldn't put you guys through anything I wouldn't do myself. Within reason, of course." He added, as he sensed his Charizard envisioning dunking his Trainer in lava to see how resistant his dragon typing really made him. Not empowered and transmuted World Forge lava either, real, genuine, molten rock. "There are limits to what even I can heal. Like severe burns. Anyways. I will endure Gelauros's training as well." Gel would, of course, be training by making his surrounding area, in an infamously sweltering and humid biome, as cold as a tundra.

They'd have to find an empty part of the jungle where the output of so much cold for presumably several weeks wouldn't irreparably damage the forest. Terra and his grass types could regrow whatever they froze, after his fire types thawed it, and the flora would probably be stronger and more abundant by the time they left. It wouldn't be the same flora, though. He disliked hurting plants, especially since befriending and speaking with several trees, but at a certain level, this was the price of training to reach even higher levels of power. If they kept increasing at their current pace, one day, finding such a spot to properly unleash their power, enough to grow from the exercise, would be a genuine problem.

As Tikki and Plagg finished powering down and celebrating with their Trainers, turning as Alex and Invictus stomped over with their stupidly large feet. Plagg stepped forward and spoke first. "Is the golden one alright?"

Alex frowned slightly but nodded. Before he could speak though, Astrum popped free of his ball, and spoke for himself. "I am whole, dark one."

Plagg nodded, and then nudged his Trainer with his tail. He brought out a sack made of fur, though it was purple, like a common Liepard. Plagg reached his paw in, and dragged a Wiki berry out on his claws, offering it to Astrum. "I apologize. I got caught up in the moment and went a bit too far. Forgive me?"

With a regal nod, Astrum levitated the berry up to his mouth, for some dignified noms. His bites were tiny, but efficient, and Alex felt him shudder in delight on his shoulder. "You are forgiven, dark one. Be sure you perfect your control, before we next meet in Battle."

Plagg gave him a dark smirk. "When next we are in Battle, we will be allies, golden one." His eyes shifted to Alex, then. "I expect your team to be properly cultured when that time comes."

Having a feeling he was once again referring to anime, Alex just nodded, and had to suppress a chuckle. He addressed both of them, then. "We three are going to Teleport, now. There is a…relatively new process for elevating Scales to what the Empire considers war readiness. A ceremony, of sorts." He held out his hands then, and the two teens noticed that, at some point beneath the Dragon Emperor's cloak, his armor had appeared again. They shared a look, but then nodded, and took Alex's hands, before vanishing with a soft bamf.

Top of the Dragonspiral Tower - Unova Region

Alex, Marinette, and Adrien appeared just as quickly as they'd vanished, and saw Connor standing nearby. Looking around, they realized they were atop the Original Dragon's home. It was like an idyllic forest had been transplanted atop the massive structure, there were grown trees full of berries, lots of seeming wild Pokémon, and of course, the titanic white scaled and black under bellied form of the dragon himself. He inclined his ice-rimmed head at the four of them, as Alex and Connor led their wide-eyed trainees to the center of the top level. Here, was the masterfully created stone pagoda that had become a common meeting spot for those who kept things running within the Dragon Empire. Not every Governor was thrilled about their ill-gotten piles of currency becoming worthless, but they also begrudgingly had to admit that feeding all of the hungry people in their States was an undeniably good thing.

As expected, restaurants and other food chains had either closed, if their quality was below a Dragon Burger's, or had remained open and relatively unchanged, as dining out was actually a luxury. The free food machines had never been intended for people who could afford to frequent restaurants, and the Original Dragon's masterful implementation of the machines, not just in the Empire but in Japan, Rio, and the other allied regions as well, had kept chaos and panic to a minimum. The markets had, again expectedly, wildly fluctuated upon their release, but now things had calmed as panic gave way to the dragon's guiding claw, and calming baritone in the right skulls.

As the four approached the pagoda, it was surrounded by if not familiar, then very famous faces. Hilbert, who seemed more serious than usual, Rosa, who still had makeup on presumably from a movie she'd been shooting, and Nate, whose eyes kept shifting to Rosa rather obviously, at least until Alex and Connor arrived. Alex gestured for the pair to enter the center of the pagoda, which now lacked the fine mahogany meeting table Tao used for more mundane gatherings. Alex started, as the two teens reached their spot. "This is the first official meeting of the High Council. Our first order is the ascension of Connor Gladstone to our ranks. All in favor?"

Rosa, Nate, Hilbert, and Alex raised their hands in unison, while for his part, Connor looked shocked, his mouth slightly open. Rosa spoke before he could, though. "Should we not wait for our future Empress?" She asked in Alex's direction.

He shook his head. "The Empress is busy. I can confirm her vote on this matter is the same as mine. Now the only question is…" He turned to his oldest friend, and strongest rival. "Will you join us?"

Connor, for the first time in a long time from Alex's perspective, seemed shocked. "I…I just became a Scale though. Surely this will be seen as nepotism?"

Alex shook his head. "Thanks to…certain prejudices from lower ranked Scales, your entry was delayed. If I had it my way, you would've been officially leading us during the war, as a General. If…or when, rather, we end up in a war again, you would take your rightful command. You're a Champion, bud. It doesn't matter that we're friends, you're as qualified as any of the other members gathered here. You've proven your skill by successfully training Adrien here, too, both in philosophy and your Martial Art style. What say you?"

Connor pondered for a moment, rightly assuming that this High Council would function much as the one in the Pokémon Wars movies had. He tried not to smirk and imagined himself in that role. Could the younger Scales benefit from his wisdom? Could he lead them in war, and in politics? "Yes." He said, both to himself, and to Alex. "I assume I'm going to be in charge of the Kalos branch of our organization?"

Alex nodded. "You have similar potential to your sister, and it's long past time you learned how to use it. With Teleport, you'll be able to give Gar a rest from zooming over an ocean full of Pokémon who know Ice Beam. You've also faced Thunder Warriors in actual combat, and you more than any of us know what they're like."

Connor sighed, heavily. "There is a universe of difference between those you negotiated with…and those I fought. The Imperator's Children are reasonable. Rational. Good at politics. The War Hounds are something else entirely. They're barely classifiable as Human, from what I saw. Creatures like that will need a release, eventually. I will be there when they inevitably target Europa."

Alex smirked and nodded. "We're on the same page. I'd like for you to start helping us bring in Paldea, Italia, Polska, and Romani to the fold as well. These Regions also have many awakening psychics, and it would be better if we trained them, before people with dark intentions do so." His main concern was Italia's crime families, and the new levels of brutality they'd be able to reach with a trained psychic that lacked morals. It wasn't that such people didn't already exist, he just knew that within a few years, there would be a lot more potential psychic criminals. He also knew Team Rocket would eventually take advantage of them as well or try to. They needed to prevent that from happening, if possible, according to Tao.

Connor nodded in agreement, and then took his place in one of the pagoda's remaining openings. "Is this like the…?" He asked Alex, and Alex nodded, before speaking in a more authoritative and serious tone aimed towards the two teenagers.

"Adrien Agreste. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You have proven your skills in Battle and with a plasma sword. You stood together, unafraid, when all of Europa was bathed in Shadow. You struck at its source and vanquished the darkness. You defend those without power with the power you have been given and have demonstrated beyond the shadow of doubt that you are worthy of it. Kneel." He said the final word, as he strode towards them, and ignited Lux. Marinette looked concerned, but Adrien, who had enough 'cultural training' to recognize what Alex was basing this on, did as instructed without hesitation. Upon seeing Lux wink at her, Marinette copied her boyfriend, and lowered her head.

It wasn't Alex who spoke next, but he did gently tap their shoulders, which Lux kept from being damaging, while Tao's thunderous baritone echoed in their heads.

"By the right of the Council. By the will of the Dragon. Rise, as defenders of the Empire."

Alex stowed Lux with a flourish, and stepped back, as the two fresh Scales rose before them. Tao continued, and it seemed like his body was constantly rotating around the topmost level of the tower as he spoke. "You are charged with the defense of Europa, and her people. Until you are free to patrol the other Regions of Europa, you will be based in Kalos. Your Trainer Cards have been upgraded to certify you to raise as many Pokémon as you desire, and you are free to travel in all air spaces shared by the Empire's allies. You are also free to train apprentices of your own, with a Council member's approval." Then, the dragon ceased moving, his head aligned behind where Alex was standing. The pupilless golden eyes flared with power, and the dragon finished the ceremony with a smirk. "Well done."

The Council members clapped, and then broke, with the ceremony now finished. Nate and Rosa went off for a stroll, while Alex, Connor, Marinette, and Adrien met again. Marinette spoke first. "I'm not…super sure about my sword skills, honestly. I'm better with Tikki's weapons."

Alex smirked. "We never stop learning, Pada- er, Marinette. Adrien can polish your skills in that regard, and as far as Plagg's request goes, Adrien," The teen audibly sighed and facepalmed, which made Connor smirk as well, "You'll have to do what I did and bond a Rotom to an electric-based crystal and shove it into a hilt. Only a possessed sword can take the shape he wants you to have. It's a great idea, though."

Adrien just nodded, still facepalming and sighed again. He raised his head, then. "I'll…keep that in mind, I guess."

As Adrien began explaining to Connor and Marinette just what Plagg wanted, Hilbert came up to Alex. "We need to speak, Dragon Emperor." Alex nodded, and the two Champions walked on the other side of the tower's garden, from Nate and Rosa. They were in silent agreement to let those two have a much-needed date.

Once they were alone, Hilbert started. "The Successor managed to successfully infiltrate the Dragonspiral Tower. He was here under a flawless disguise, for several weeks. His goal appears to have been corrupting Padawans to his rhetoric, but it seems that those he was in contact with were not swayed. We'll be keeping an eye on them anyway. Before he left, I Battled him. I wanted to stop and detain him, but Tao claimed that would have been pointless, for some bloody reason."

Just then, Tao's massive head joined them, rising over the part of the tower they stood upon. "I said your efforts would not change our Path."

"But you still just let him walk out of here? Without so much as an alarm?" Alex asked, somewhat incredulous.

Tao sighed, bathing them in Leaf scented smoke from his large draconic nostrils. "If we attacked him here, in the Capital, he would have used his powers, and likely gotten greedy enough to try forcibly kidnapping either innocent citizens, or some of our Padawans. My Future Sight foresaw this. The Successor takes advantage of such situations, always. Letting him go was the safest Path, and you were too far away and too busy to Teleport over and confront him, Alex." Tao's eyes pulsed with power, as he sensed his Champions still did not understand his actions or reasoning. "There will be a time and a place to confront the Successor. Our scientists must first learn to trap him, by disrupting Hoopa's portals. This will also keep him from randomly summoning Legendary Pokémon to aid him in said confrontation, which is another reason I did not provoke him. You and Arthur must both use your Spacium Beams, in conjunction, when he draws upon the majority of his power, and is properly trapped by our forces. That is how we slay him. Permanently. Trust my judgment, my Champions. This is the Way. Do what you have been doing, and when the time comes to face him, we will be ready."

Alex and Hilbert shared a look, as in retrospect, it did make sense not to attack a man with an unbound Hoopa in the middle of the capital. "Did you at least learn anything when you faced him?" Alex asked Hilbert.

Hilbert shrugged. "Only that he is quickly learning to take full advantage of modern Pokémon training supplies and is himself a decent Trainer. He may be pure evil, but his Pokémon trusted and obeyed him as well as any of ours."

Alex sighed, thanked Hilbert for his vigilance and his efforts at reconnaissance, and then rejoined Connor, Marinette, and Adrien.

With their business settled, Alex bamfed them back to their campsite in Paldea, using Kalagon as an anchor. He released his team in a mad rainbow of light that was probably visible for miles. In the moment he'd transported them to Paldea, he'd also split a clone away to send with them, one that had all of his Pokémon with him, except for Magnus, and while it worked, it also had the unintended effect of sending his real self hurtling over the Unovan skyline, out of control.

Magnus beeped in panic and soared after him, but his body could only move so fast. Alex stopped himself with a burst of psychic power, finally, just before the Empire Building, and waved awkwardly at the crowds touring the building for a chance to see Castelia lit up at night. As Alex looked around too, waiting for Magnus, he could see why people, mostly couples, would come up here. It was the largest city on the planet, and as Alex waited, his eyes widened slightly, as his senses took in the general vibe of the human masses below, and their Pokémon. In searching for ill intent, he discovered that the people, his people, seemed…happy? Less stressed? There were still exceptions, of course. Some people, from what he sensed, were too prideful to let their government feed them, but overall, the mood was…significantly more positive than the last time he'd been in the city and listened to its mood.

When Magnus finally showed up, Alex recalled him, and then bamfed away from the tourists who'd kept photographing him the entire time he'd been waiting. Aspertia Town was closest to the Blueberry Academy, and though it was ten o'clock and anime time in Paldea, in Unova, it was still four in the afternoon. Plenty of time to visit the Terarium, for the remaining targets on his roster. First and foremost, was a Beldum, as he knew they had a large colony somewhere in the icy part of the undersea bio-dome, but anyone else he ran into on his way to that part of the Terarium was also fair game. He didn't intend to have more than sixty battlers though, as in six teams of ten, at least for this tournament. There was always the chance some would prefer not to battle by the next World Tournament, too. Others, like his Garbodor and the Eeveelutions weren't counted for his battle roster, as they preferred to enjoy existing and doing as they pleased, with minimal amounts of combat.

When he arrived by Skarmory Taxi, he saw a pink haired female figure walking slowly towards him down the unnecessarily long walkway into the academy itself. Alex chatted with the cab driver, Kevin, who was mighty proud of his Skarmory. "They're fast, sturdy, and have a rather impressive Move pool. You can find them nesting in bramble bushes in the Terarium."

Alex nodded, indulging the man. Skarmory's speed was, at most, average, but it was defense heavy, flight capable, and versatile, if trained properly. He also liked the idea of making a spare sword from a shed wing feather. "I'll have to keep an eye out for one. Thanks for the ride, Kevin." The man nodded, seeing his liaison arriving, and the pair of armor birds took off again, as he got another request for transport.

Alex recognized the woman coming to greet him, as she was rather famous in Unova. The youngest Director of a major University in Unovan history, and the daughter of a Gym Leader to boot. The former Director, Cyrano, had insisted he could think of no one more suited to take over his academy, and Director Lacey did not disappoint him. Her main contributions to the school had been adding more high-level classes, and like Paldea's academy, taking in students of any age who wanted to advance in those fields. The Trainer courses were still, by far, the most popular but there were quite a few future scientists as well.

Up close, Alex realized just how fine Clay's daughter actually was. He wasn't smitten or anything, but he could appreciate beauty when he saw it. She'd clearly taken the time to look that good or had one of her Pokémon do it for her, and he had a feeling an imminent visit from the region's leader might have played a part in that. Although, for all he knew, she looked this good every day when going about her duties. He gave her the same handshake he'd given her father though, as they exchanged greetings, and then she went straight to business.

"We appreciate your visit, Dragon Emperor. There are a few things I'd like to take care of before I give you free reign of the Terarium, however." She began, as they started the ridiculously long walk to the academy's entrance. "Firstly…we've been having more and more students manifesting…strange abilities, lately. And they're almost always our Trainers. We've been sending them to the Dragonspiral Tower so far, but their parents are pressuring me to keep them in a school environment, at least until they decide if they want to become Scales. Thus, I wanted to offer a compromise, as I understand the danger that comes with not training them. Champion Hilbert or Rosa could come here to teach them, or someone else you trust with the task if they're too busy, and their first task would be to train someone who could eventually take over their duties and stay on as part of our teaching staff here permanently. In time, I'd also like to develop courses for the various abilities we've been seeing. As you're probably aware, they're not just limited to Psychic Typed abilities."

Alex nodded, until the woman finally paused for his answer. "I could just train you, Director. You have the potential as well; I can sense it."

She looked surprised, blinked several times, but otherwise her face remained controlled, her smile never so much as shifting from her mouth. "I see. That would expedite the process…and you would be alright with me training additional teachers?"

Alex nodded. "Tao and I are very much on board with working closer with the Academy, and the other schools across the States. Our only caveat would be that you take in potential students from all across the Empire, and if you need help accommodating them, we will gladly provide it. You have an ideal setup here for creating strong, competent Trainers and Tao wants as many of those as possible. If you're in agreement, I will have you train under Champion Rosa. I think you two have met already, and I'm sure she could learn a lot from a Trainer as skilled as you. When she deems you fit, you would then be cleared to train more Scales to act as teachers. Judging by your team's skill level, you probably wouldn't take too long to train."

The academy's Director paused in her walking and turned to face him. "I would like that very much, Emperor Redwood."

Alex chuckled, as she formally bowed. "You can just call me Alex. I'll let Rosa know she has a new Padawan, and I'll leave scheduling training sessions to the two of you. Is there anything else you needed from me, Director?"

"Lacey is fine, if we're going to be informal. I did…actually have a bit of a…strange request. It's my Excadrill, you see…ahh, I'll just let him explain it. You can understand him, after all." She called out her starter then, and Alex could tell that while he appeared strong and steely at first glance, there was an inner and far more feminine radiance to him that he seemed comfortable with. His fur was purposely styled to be crazy, like an anime protagonist's hair, but oddly enough it worked with his spikes to make him by far one of the most visually stimulating Excadrill that Alex had encountered.

Alex gave him his standard 'Hello there', and the Excadrill began speaking in a haughty, but confident voice as his sharp eyes looked Alex over. "Hey hey hey. I'm Kamina. Hmmm. You're the real deal, aren'tcha. Listen, Dragonman, I have a little brother who needs some…Human encouragement, to reach his full potential, you dig?"

Alex slowly raised an eyebrow. "Your little brother? I guess I can help a familial relation, sure. What does he need, exactly?"

Kamina shook his steel horned head. "Nah fam, he's not a blood relative, but he might as well be. He's just a Drilbur I care about! My little bro! Believe me, he's got some serious power, but he needs a seriously powerful Human to, y'know, draw it outta him. Someone in tune with the Earth, and on par with a Champion. Lacey isn't quite there yet, and she doesn't want another Drilbur. He's down in the Terarium. His name is Simon (See-moan). He'll be the one with his head down, mindlessly digging away."

Alex smirked. "My guy, that's what every Drilbur does. I'm going to need more than that if you want me to find him."

Kamina shook his head again, vehemently. "Nah man, the way Simon digs is different. Y'know what? Just meet me down there! In the Canyon Biome! You can see for yourself!" The powerful Excadrill flew away then using Drill Run to spin through the air, despite it being a ground type move. Alex watched, admittedly intrigued. If Kamina could fly by getting creative with Drill Run, in this case spinning so fast he floated, he could only imagine what this Simon could do.

Lacey watched him go with a frown. "I hope his request isn't too much. From what I can understand, he wants you to train his little Drilbur friend to his level, so they can…Drill Run into the sky together? Or something? He was hard to understand when he explained it, he was Very passionate about it though. Anyways. I suppose I'll leave you to it. The students have been instructed not to bother you, but ahh…El Primero was hoping to speak with you, if you have time. He's in the Coastal Biome. You'll see him when you get there." She gave him a smile then, that seemed more genuine. "Please enjoy the Terarium, and feel free to visit as you please from now on."

Alex thanked her again, stowed his cape, and made his way down into the Terarium once the student at the desk confirmed his Trainer Card was legitimate, and asked for an autograph. As he took in the savannah before him, he also looked upwards, and gasped. To his eyes, the Terarium Core was a roiling mass of powerful energy. It seemed like Infinity Energy, but there was…more to it. Another kind of power that had been mixed in with the literally limitless potential of typed energy. He sensed two sources of that energy, one of which was a Pokémon. Terapagos, if he had to guess. The Legendary turtle had been discovered after his granduncle's efforts had shifted from researching legends to making kooky inventions spawned by his Leaf smoking sessions. Highdeas, he'd called them. Thus, his notes had lacked much information on the Terastal phenomenon, though there had been an interesting book with a fairy tale that seemed to incorporate what humanity today called Terastallization. The book had a cryptic note in the back of it too, now that he recalled it. Another note with a single word. Rakua. And the other one-word note had mentioned the Legend he now flew towards on his Charizard. The fact that there was a Terapagos sized hole in his granduncle's research was also strange, as he'd evidently been to Area Zero, and had seemed to think Terapagos had a greater tie to Arceus. As Alex spied its shell in the distance, he could understand why.

As he and Blaze approached the beach of the Coastal Biome, they saw the Legend, basking comfortably in the light of the Core. Alex saw one eye open and look at them, as they approached. Then, he noticed the human beside it. El Primero, if he had to guess. With a glance, Alex knew that Florian had trained this Terapagos thoroughly. Like Tao, he was at the peak of power that a Pokémon could reach, and it showed. He was living his best life, gleaming in the tropical light of the biome, and the Terarium Core.

There were students around, of course, as they tended to gather whenever Florian stayed in one place long enough, but thanks to his Legendary ride, he could easily escape them, and had often done so. He'd made it clear to his fans that he reserved the right to zoom away once he decided what his next target to catch or train was. Today though, he was just relaxing with Terapagos, as the Legendary Pokémon had informed him they would be having a fateful encounter today. Blaze landed with a small burst of flame not far from them, and then happily stretched his wings in the sun, and let out an empowered Flamethrower for good measure. He glanced at his Trainer, who looked back at him and nodded as he disembarked, and the Charizard shot into the air once more, probably to go and find somewhere to bask. Florian had one of his own, and it seemed the Victory Champion's was at or above their level. He resisted the urge to ask for a battle, for now. Nemona had taught him the importance of savoring an epic battle, and there was no greater stage than the World Tournament.

Alex and Florian walked towards each other, and shook hands, as they came close enough. After they exchanged greetings, El Primero started the conversation. "Terapagos has been eager to meet you. From what I can tell, he has a request for you, and for the Original Dragon."

Alex raised a brow, and the titanic furry turtle floated over to them. Alex inclined his head politely, and the Terapagos did the same. As Alex heard its mental voice, it didn't thunder like Tao's or other Legends, it almost seemed…sparkly? Somehow? There was only a faint male tinge to it as well, and Alex had a feeling if it wanted to change genders, it probably could. Like most Legendary Pokémon.

"It has been eons since my power filled this land." Alex blinked, as the massive turtle shared rapidly flashing images of the past. A much different looking Unova, with crystal formations that seemed very similar to Tera Dens. "It was sealed. By your more foolish predecessors." Another image, this time of thousands of ancient Pokémon Trainers commanding Sigilyph, Bronzong, and Claydol. They were surrounding a massive crater in the Earth that reminded him of Area Zero, albeit much smaller, it had the same strange mist he'd seen while in Paldea's skies. A man in black and white robes guided their efforts, and raised a massive mountain where there was once a crater, heedless of the massive environmental upheaval they were causing as a result. He flinched, as he saw many base form Terapagos with blue-white crystalline shells caught in the eruption of earth, as a new mountain was forcibly created through psychic means.

He felt the sadness from Terapagos as well. They had perished, then. Not for the first time, he cursed the method humans had for passing on political power. The antics of the previous Dragon Emperors popped up more and more the longer he was one. The image faded, and Alex met the ancient turtle's gaze as it continued speaking. "The power of my species grows, the less of us there are. I am…one of two. The only two left. Florian has helped me recover much of my strength…and now, I will again seed it across the world. Help me, Dragon Emperor."

Alex reached out to Tao, for his opinion. "Terastal power will open many pathways to our goal. It enhances your machinery and makes the Dreams of sentients a reality. It is a boon, by every measure."

Alex nodded again, mostly to himself. Then, he met Terapagos' eyes evenly. "Help make Tao's dreams a reality, and you may tap into your ancient source of power." He looked at Florian as well. "Have Paldea ally officially with the rest of the allied Regions. It will make accessing their land to spread your power more…palatable." He finished, thinking of Zigma.

Florian and Terapagos shared a look, and then Florian spoke. "I'll see what I can do. This alliance will take time to solidify, but once it does, we will require your aid directly, Dragon Emperor. Terapagos has foreseen it. Only your authority will ultimately allow us to spread Terastal Energy to Unova, and beyond."

Alex nodded again. "Then when the time comes, you shall have my authority to do whatever you need to do, so long as no people or Pokémon are harmed in the process."

With that settled, Alex then asked Florian how one might find a white Beldum in the Terarium, and he responded by giving Alex a sandwich recipe, and directing him to a specific part of the Polar Biome. Thanking him again, Alex summoned Blaze from his nap, and they began flying across the Terarium once again, at the same speed as the other Trainers around them. Thanks to his size, Blaze got looks as they flew, and it seemed Hydreigon, not Charizard, was the most popular mount in the academy. He'd thought they were simply too ferocious to train en masse, but it seemed their resident Dragon Master had found the trick to training the Deino line. Instructor Drayton was, reportedly, a prodigy with dragon types, but had never had the drive to do more than teach the next generation about battling, which was apparently the only thing that could fire him up. Despite that, Alex recalled him declining the post at Opeleucid's Gym multiple times, before Nate simply stepped in, to Drayden's disappointment. He found Nate qualified, but he also thought the Champion had more important things to do with his time. Drayton, by comparison, did not have important things to do, as most of his time was spent relaxing, apparently.

As they arrived in the Canyon Biome, Alex didn't have to look long to find where the Drilbur line liked to hang. The walls were similar to an Aron nest, and indeed, he spied several Aron living in harmony on the ores that Drilbur's digging brought up. One Drilbur in particular was digging rapidly, tossing up ore like he had a nose for it to the hungry Aron and Lairon around the nest, and the Drilbur responsible finally surfaced near Kamina, whose fur made him stand out. He wasn't the only Excadrill around, but he was the one that was oozing the most charisma. He waved Alex and Blaze down, as he saw them.

"Yo! Dragonman! And friend!" Kamina called out, eyeing Blaze. The Charizard seemed a bit fidgety around so many rock types, but they seemed more interested in their ore than the fire type in their midst. "This here is Simon! My brother! Say hi, bro!"

Alex walked up to the Drilbur, and noted that he was small because of his lack of level. For a Pokémon that low level, he had sure mastered Dig like a much stronger Drilbur. Kamina was correct, his little brother had potential. The Drilbur shyly greeted the human, and Alex just smirked at him. "Hello there. Your brother asked me to train you. I admit I was skeptical, but I agree with him. You do have potential."

"I told you!" Kamina shouted excitedly. "Believe in the you that I believe in! You're more than worthy Simon!"

The little Drilbur sighed. "I still don't know what that means…"

Alex chimed in then. "He's talking about the ideal you that he believes you can be. Thus, if you believe in the you that he believes in, you'll also be believing in your best potential self. Does that help?"

Kamina ran his dangerously sharp claws together in excitement. "Oh man, he really is a wise Dragonman! Simon! He totally gets it! I knew this was a good idea!"

Simon was still frowning as he tried to follow his brother's train of thought. "Believe…in the me that…ohhh Arceus, my head hurts."

Alex and Kamina shared a look, and then laughed, loudly. "It's alright, Simon." Alex said, smirking. "You'll understand eventually. Now then. I only take on Pokémon who are comfortable with Battling, and who want to be the best. As in, the best in the entire world. With my help, I think you could get there, but it's not going to be easy. It'll hurt. It will take time, effort, and every day will test the limits of your endurance. What do you say?"

Kamina was shuddering with excitement, but Simon looked deflated. "The best in the entire world…?" He'd barely been out of his egg when he'd been let loose in the Terarium. His first day here, he'd found a patch of nutritious mineral-rich dirt to munch on by himself, and Kamina, who also happened to eat at that one, had shown up as he always did, and rather quickly befriended him, taking him on as a pupil, or at least trying to, anyway. At certain disparities in strength, sparring together did more harm than good. In terms of level, Kamina was in his upper nineties, while Simon was still single digits. Thus, the clever Excadrill had sought out a human. Only the best, for his little bro.

"O-on one condition." The tiny mole declared, facing Alex with steel in his eyes that hadn't been there earlier. "Take my friends with me."

Alex stroked his beard slowly, before he said, "Who are your friends?"

"A Noibat, a Timburr, a Machop, and a Larvitar. They train together all the time. If I'm going to become the best, I want them by my side."

Alex nodded. "We'll speak to them, then. If they want to come along, they're more than welcome." He was a bit apprehensive about the Larvitar, only because he'd promised one of his earliest mentors that he'd train one of his offspring eventually. As it turned out, he ended up keeping that promise. One by one they met Simon's friends. The Noibat was eager for evolution, and Alex dubbed him Dracala, or 'dragon wing' also sometimes translated as 'winged dragon'. The fact that it was so similar to a certain famous vampire and being somewhat familiar with what their Mega Form looked like, was a total coincidence. Kel and Champ were previously owned, until their Trainer had washed out early from the Blueberry Academy Trainer courses and left them in the Terarium. They both eagerly jumped at the chance to attain their final forms, with a competent human's aid.

Lastly was the Larvitar, who as it turned out was with his father when Alex and the group of first stage Pokémon arrived in their territory. It seemed that after it was discovered that Alex had released 'his' Tyranitar back to the wilds, the local rangers had wrangled him into a temporary ball and moved him to the Terarium, where he'd proceeded to thrive in peace, undisturbed by the humans who'd been developing his mountain home. Most companies managed to mine these days without completely ruining the environment around them, but having a Tyranitar around was simply untenable, when every mining charge would send it into a costly rampage. Alex made good on his word and named the eager young Larvitar Tyranus. He seemed proud of how fierce the name sounded.

With five new faces, and Magnus, he made his way to the Polar Biome, and cooked up the sandwich Florian had given him. As it turned out, the weird gray sparkly herbs he'd acquired from his Tera Den were the key to this strange but effective method of drawing out elusive Pokémon. Even Terapagos had sagely nodded, claiming that sandwiches made with the 'mystic herbs' had strange and wonderful powers. Sure enough, after washing and feeding his gathered team, a swarm of Beldum and some Metang filled the snow-covered slopes of the isolated cliffside area, below which they seemed to have their nest.

Since Beldum's claws were actually absurdly valuable in terms of Replication Machines, Alex gathered hundreds of them while Magnus trained the power of his Flash Cannon on steel types. For whatever reason, the mystical sandwich powers only lasted about half an hour, and he was fifteen minutes into his when from the corner of his eye, he finally saw his prize. He hurled Magnus's ball at the white Beldum, picking it out of the crowd easily, and after a Thunder Wave and a few weaker Flash Cannons, it went into the Luxury Ball that Alex was using on it.

He set up their camp again, letting everyone out, as they greeted their new member. The Beldum was largely unreadable as it's red eye scanned over each of them, before finishing with Alex. He joined their psychic network on his own initiative, and greeted them, and though his emotions were comparatively dull, he could see the Beldum growing more and more twitchy, as he sensed just how many powerful Pokémon were on his new team.

Once he was integrated, the eye focused both physically and psychically on his new Trainer. Alex was finding the more metallic cries some Pokémon made were harder to translate, but he made out the Beldum's intent. It was imagining a small blue candy in a wrapper, and Alex slowly pulled out one of the Rare Candies he had on him. It was, essentially, classifiable as Exp candy as well, it just guaranteed exactly one level, and that's when Alex realized it wanted to evolve. He offered it to the Beldum, and it let out a cry that rang through the area. Another white Beldum, the only other in the Terarium for the moment, appeared at the first's call, and they both bit into the candy simultaneously, as they, to Alex's perspective, purposefully used the burst of Infinity Energy to fuse their brains together, and become exponentially smarter.

"At laaaaast…" Their voice rang out much more clearly to Alex's ears. They addressed him with psychic speech then, after taking about eight seconds to learn Common. "We- I had visions when I rested as a Beldum. Strong Future Sights that have given me insight to our destiny…we are, apparently, going to bear the entire world on our shoulders, as a Metagross, and beyond, and it seems you…Alexander Redwood…are the one who will get us there."

Alex smirked, and gently pet the steely white Metang. "Well with a premonition like that, only one name will do. I dub thee Atlas."

The Metang closed their eyes, and they glowed with intense blue aura, before they said, "Yes. Atlas. Quite fitting! We like it. Hopefully, the other two will be in agreement as well. We will become Atlas."

Alex's brows furrowed, slightly, as he had a thought. "To become a Metagross…you'd need two more Beldum, or a Metang like yourself, wouldn't you. The other blue Beldum here are too different to work, I assume?"

The psychic sentient steel platform with rather impressive arms hummed an affirmative. "Our composition is akin to what you humans call Platinum. The other Beldum here were formed from lesser metals. In time, years, more like us will appear." The metallic creature stared into his Trainer's core, then. "I do not wish to wait years, Human."

Alex found Atlas's spot then, under his chin, presumably where the two brains linked. Their eyes turned happy as he scratched there forcefully enough for the steel type to feel it. "Nor will you have to. Steven Stone might be able to help us. He has a Metagross like you. A much older one."

Atlas was thrilled at the idea of meeting such a presumably wise member of its species, and after Alex set up a Pokénet connection to his ball like he had for Lux, Nox, and Psi, he recalled Atlas. With his goal achieved, just as night came to the Unova Region, Alex bamfed them all back to his true self in Paldea, and after a wake and bake at five in the AM, introduced them to the team.

They also had another unexpected addition, as somehow Magnus had attracted a Grubbin to latch onto his steely body when nobody had noticed. Too sleepy to bamf him back, and upon seeing his modest nature, Alex kept the small bug, and dubbed him Gauss. By his count, he was three away from his soft limit of sixty, and he wanted those slots open in case he found anything in Selva Muerta worth taming.

The night was spent as it usually was, with copious amounts of Leaf, anime, and friends. They were getting towards the end of Shippuden now and had to skip massive filler arcs that the ancient writers had decided to shove in the middle of several epic battles. Alex was just glad he had the option to skip. In ye olden days, apparently, people had to wait for new episodes. Through the aforementioned filler. In the morning, their group of five entered Alfornada Cavern, and thanks mostly to Kalagon, the local Garchomp left them alone. Apparently when he'd eventually entered the cavern out of curiosity, he'd made several 'friendly' rivals, and the locals had come to appreciate his strength. So long as they avoided catching a Gible, they wouldn't be targeted.

Alex and Aria had the easiest time ascending, as he could fly, and she had a very friendly Jellicent. If she spent too long atop her amorphous head, she'd eventually slide off, but for short climbs, like the many they took through the cavern, it worked well. Adrien and Marinette had taken the longer route, with less cliffs, and more Pokémon nests, but by the sounds of things, they were hard at work training their teams.

Isamu had the most trouble, since his shiny light green colored Tangrowth was unruly, and when it did lift him, it was more like a throw. The Tangrowth begrudgingly followed after him every time though, though he had angry eyes the whole time. Alex eventually floated over next to him. "Having some trouble, bud?" The Tangrowth's angry eyes shifted to Alex, and from what he could tell, the creature regarded him as a threat.

Isamu chuckled as he wiped his scraped, bloody nose, and said, "Oh…that's just Kuromuchi…he's always like that." Alex raised an eyebrow, and Isamu elaborated, "I uhh…inherited his ball. He's still understandably upset about having a new Trainer. Apparently, he was supposed to return to where he was captured after his Trainer died, but I'm not strong enough to go there yet. He holds it against me. It's my fault for being so weak."

Alex's face shifted to a frown. He floated down to the Tangrowth then. "Hello there. Isamu explained part of your situation. Might I ask where it is you were caught, exactly?"

The vines that comprised the Tangrowth wriggled in a manner that Alex assumed conveyed anger. His voice was a deep, angry gurgle. "I was stolen from my home. I do not know your Human terms for it."

Alex tried giving him a genuine smile, and Isamu was taking notes, very obviously fascinated. "I'd like to help you, Kuromuchi, if you'll let me."

The Tangrowth angrily shook and gurgled again. "I despise that name. It embodies my slavery. Call me Kuro, if you Must."

Alex nodded. "Kuro, then. Imagine your home for me, if you can. I'll see it in your mind."

Within the sentient vine pile's mind, a massive, vibrant green forest cycled through in images. It looked like a generic forest to him.

Alex sighed softly and muttered, "Hoboy." Before he spoke louder, "Lux. Bring up a slideshow of the most forested areas in the world. The Central Imperium Republic, Selva Muerta, anywhere with a forest. Hopefully that will help our new friend here recognize his home." In short order, Lux had a slideshow of images rolling, and that at least seemed to alleviate his bad mood.

Alex floated back up to Isamu, and psychically caught him as he slipped, and his handholds broke off. "Thanks for the save." Isamu said, chuckling awkwardly.

"No problem." Alex said, guessing he was worried about what Kuromuchi had told him. "That Tangrowth of yours…who exactly did you inherit him from?"

They walked as they talked, and in the distance, Aria was handily whooping a Dragon Tamer with her Jellicent, and Ice Beam. Somehow, the ghostly jellyfish had formed Night Shades cohesive enough to also use moves, and Alex felt Nox watching quietly with interest from his shadow. Nox didn't often battle himself, but like Alex, who had started the habit by copying Leon, he learned from every battle he watched, stole their techniques, and made them his own. Night Shade was weak in terms of power, even at a high level and with a type advantage, but if they could use moves, that made them akin to a ghostly Double Team.

After a moment, Isamu answered Alex's question. "He was a Pokémon Tamer from the Dark Times. He helped establish the Pokémon Leagues, with the help of the First Champion, and his Rhydon, or so I was told. He uhh…was part of an elite team of Tamers whose Pokémon lived on after their deaths. He's hundreds, if not thousands of years old." Isamu exposited.

Alex just sighed, deeply. "So, the forest he's looking for probably doesn't even exist anymore. In the time of the First Champion…we'd barely built any cities. Nature reclaimed much." Isamu nodded in sad agreement, and subtly exhaled, as he'd kept his secret safe and his oaths intact. Then suddenly, they heard a deep gurgle from behind them, as Lux and Kuromuchi had apparently found familiar flora. The Tangrowth effortlessly, and rapidly, pulled himself over to Alex and Isamu.

"Selva Muerta." Lux said, smirking in the possessed phone/Pokédex. "I win, Nox." Isamu gasped in shock, as the hand of a Gengar rose from Alex's shadow with a large, ripe looking Wiki berry. Alex caught his information device as Lux returned to his hilt and enjoyed his victorious noms.

"Selva Muerta…" Alex repeated. "Yea, if Kuromuchi doesn't listen to you and the strongest you have is that Riolu…erm…Kanchi, then you're nowhere near ready. Even with your Zygarde Cores…well, maybe if you kept them on continuously. Without them, the local Pokémon would eat you alive."

Isamu chuckled awkwardly again. "That form does have a time limit, though it can vary…the Cores also have to find it necessary to keep together. You're right, I'm just not ready…"

Alex nodded. "If you went alone, or with Aria, you'd be right. You aren't." By this point, Aria, Marinette, and Adrien had exited the cavern, and Alex turned to Isamu, as Kalagon came over and asked to rest in his comfortable ball. "You said you wanted to join the Scales, right Isamu? You seemed interested at least, last time."

He nodded. "I wanted to…but then I realized I'm just…not good enough yet to join Champion Tier Trainers in actual combat situations. My…mentor…from back home suggested I enroll in Paldea's Naranuva Academy. It's made Kanchi quite strong, and I've learned a lot. Aced all my courses. My teachers say there hasn't been a new student with my GPA since El Primero joined."

Alex nodded sagely again. "But book learning will only get you so far. You need real experience to properly train your team. I'm going to train in Selva Muerta soon, and knowing Naranuva Academy, they'd send you off to another Region eventually anyway. I have an open spot for an aspiring Padawan, and it's yours, if you want it."

Isamu's eyes went wide. Infamously, Champion Trainers rarely if ever trained others. Chairman Leon of Galar had done so more than most other Champions, even before he retired and that essentially became his job. The reason they didn't train others, was because of exactly what had happened to Leon. He gave his successor a strong starter, and within the year Victor had risen to Leon's level, and beyond. His Urshifu had made him unbeatable, but the rest of his team was no joke either, and he'd only trained up even more Pokémon since.

Thus, a Champion offering to train him blew Isamu's mind a little bit, especially the Victory Champion of the hardest League in the world's most populated region. The only other Champion of Alex's caliber he'd heard of training others was Ash, who would famously battle almost anyone, if they could find him, and Cynthia, who had trained Kohki once he'd beaten her and become worthy of the title of Sinnoh Champion. "I accept!" He shouted, louder than he meant to, and that made Alex smirk.

"Good. We'll train both my team and yours in Selva Muerta, and we'll depart once I have enough pieces for my Ceruledge's armor. Someone in a place like Rio should know how to forge it, and while I look that up, you can challenge Rio's Gyms. Maybe add to that team, a bit." It was at that point that Alex noticed he did in fact have ten Pokéballs, but he'd bring that up later. He had noticed Isamu was reluctant to mention something, regarding his Pokémon, but Alex didn't intend to force it out of him. He was honest to a fault, so there was likely a good reason he hadn't brought them out or mentioned what was inside them.

Isamu accepted his challenge, and it was at the cave's exit, with Alfornada Town glowing in the distant darkness of the night, that their group split up. Aria didn't want the pressure of Alex at another of her Gym Battles, and she wanted the crowd focused on her, not him or his admittedly awesome Gallade. It was her Jellicent's chance to shine, and Marina had been looking forward to smashing through Tulip's team since they'd briefly met her in Mesagoza. She'd noted offhandedly that Marina was small, and since she had a bit of a size complex, the insult had stuck in her mind. She was not small. She was fun-sized.

Adrien and Marinette were also going to Alfornada, mostly to shower and eat a proper meal before heading for their next Paldean vista. Alex and Isamu meanwhile, searched together for elusive Polteageists, and eventually, found a nice flat plain full of the small, hard to see Pokémon. It was Nox's turn to get some training in, though he seemed more annoyed that he had to do it. His Night Shades easily smashed every single one they encountered, but once possessed, their cups and teapots became as special as their contents and would regrow by the time the Pokémon recovered and stopped hiding in its instinctually miniaturized form.

Alex was quiet, as the Polteageists reminded him far too much of Kashiji. Someday, when the Swords of Justice had recovered enough, he would tell them about the Light that they had extinguished while under Morgana's domination. Once they had more than enough shards, Alex put a hand on Isamu, and Teleported them to Rio. Cross-continent Teleports took a lot more energy and were generally considered 'bumpier'. Isamu looked slightly nauseous, but his stomach quickly settled as his eyes went wide. Once again, thanks to time zones, it was still daylight hours in Rio, the mid to late afternoon actually, and the colorful city astounded both new arrivals.

For Alex, it was much different from what he remembered. The buildings had been repaired all around the palace, and pretty far down the continent's coastline, as far as he could tell. The music was different from the last time he'd been here, though he was distracted from it, by Isamu's growling stomach. Alex smirked at his newest Padawan. "Dragon Burgers?"

Isamu tilted his head, and then nodded. "A few of those would hit the spot, actually."

Alex's smirk widened slightly. "Good. First lesson, Padawan. I know you've trained with the Mind Sage, so use your powers to find the nearest Replicator Rotom." Isamu nodded, not put off by the somewhat mundane task, but rather eager to easily meet and surpass it, and demonstrate his skills.

It was simple enough to find a bunch of dopamine filled minds surrounding a ball of ghostly energy. Isamu led them to one rather quickly, and Alex's somewhat iconic robe drew stares from the people. The areas around the food replicators had quickly gained a nickname among those who fully supported ending world hunger, and appreciated good tasting food that was also healthy and harmless to the environment. The term, across the western allied regions anyway, was Dragon Pits, and typically, they were just a large gathering of low-quality chairs plopped unceremoniously around the Replicator Rotom. Some struck a balance of being out of the way, but visible and free to use, while others routinely blocked roads and infuriated local police, who had to constantly move them after every mealtime.

"So, what else do you have on your belt?" Alex asked as he double fisted two Dragon Burgers. They weren't drowning in grease or condiments, which was a nice change from the burgers he usually had. Canis and Arthur popped out as well, and got some for themselves, which caused a stir around the dragon pit. Apparently, people hadn't realized their Pokémon could have free food too.

Alex shifted on the poorly made pool chair he'd taken since it was one of the few that was free as Isamu answered him. "A Klinklang, Hitmonlee, and a Torkoal. The rest are Cores."

It took Alex longer than it should have to do the math, but eventually he said, quietly but excitedly, "You found all five!?"

Isamu nodded, and finished one of his burgers before he said, "We should probably talk about this somewhere more private. But yes, I have them all, now. Using them all together is another matter entirely, though…"

Alex nodded slowly, as he pondered. "Well, we can work on that while we're here. They probably cooperate together better without a Human, but bonding with each of them should help you with using them."

Isamu sighed. "I've been trying, but it's not like I can just feed them sandwiches. They absorb the Sun's light; they have no interest in eating together."

Alex lightly patted Isamu's shoulder. "We'll figure out a way." He looked up then as two guards in the same serpent helmed scaled cerulean armor they'd worn when he'd last been here approached them. The two finished their burgers, and Alex recalled Canis and Arthur, who had been getting Dragon Burgers for whoever wanted one, and transferring them into their Pokéballs. "Hello there." Alex said, as the guards stopped before them.

A murmur went through the crowd as they spoke. "Emperor Redwood. Queen Iara and the Tamer of Zigma wish to speak with you in the palace."

Alex was tempted to say he had things to do, as this sounded like an optional meeting, but then, if anyone would know about turning Sinistea shards into armor, it was Rio's ruler. At the very least, he expected she'd be able to point him towards someone who did.

Isamu, meanwhile, seemed to be panicking slightly. As they walked behind the guards, two more flanked them from behind, and it soon became clear as to why. Cheers erupted from a rather large crowd of people in what seemed like one of if not the largest city centers in Rio. Alex gave them a wave as they walked, and the cheers grew louder. Apparently, all but ending hunger made one immensely popular with the masses.

Eventually, they made it through the city center, at which point Alex turned, smirked, and Shouted at them, "Enjoy your burgers!" This prompted more wild cheering, and Alex chuckled. The good mood in Rio today was infectious. For his part, Isamu had stayed quiet, and occasionally looked at his new teacher with genuine awe. He'd claimed, multiple times now to the many fans who approached them, that he wasn't actually responsible for the replicators. He'd really just greenlit the project and helped train the army of Rotom needed to operate them. The scientists deserved the credit, but Isamu, and Alex's fans, knew better. Ninety nine percent of other people would've monetized an infinite food generator into an infinite money generator as well. It took a special kind of person to ignore their greed, and feed most of the world. For free. The teen's eyes narrowed slightly. It was almost like Alex didn't fully comprehend what he'd done. Humility was good, but this was ending world hunger. It was a big deal. Barring a disaster, every subsequent generation of human would go without ever needing to feel hunger again. Obviously, some probably would, but the majority of the species now had their basic needs met.

Eventually they reached the palace, at which an even larger crowd was crowded around the gates. Once again cheering erupted and quickly became deafening. Alex didn't remember seeing so many people the last time he'd been in the city. Almost as an afterthought, Alex said, "Ahh. Nearly forgot. Aevum! Why don't you join us?"

Isamu's eyes went wide as he processed Alex's words through the cheering, and then saw his Latios appear. "You almost forgot you have a Latios!?"

The cheerful blue psychic dragon jet circled and flipped around Isamu. "Greetings, newest Padawan. I am Aevum." He inclined his head for pats, and Isamu very gently stroked his short, fine feathers. Aevum floated behind them as they made their way to Iara's throne room. The water was now significantly lessened, replaced by a heavy darkness that covered the entire chamber. Iara smiled as she saw them and stood up from her throne. "Emperor Re-, err, Alex." She corrected, remembering what he preferred. "Thank you for coming. I know how busy you must be with the World Tournament's finale drawing closer."

Alex bowed, low, closed fist to open palm, and Isamu followed his lead. "Queen Iara. Always good to see you. And you as well, Zigma. Nelinha." He said, standing, and staring directly into the darkness behind the throne. Isamu tensed, and started to sweat as he felt what he could only describe as imminent death. His spine was tingling, his body was sweating more and more, and he fidgeted in the presence of the Guardian of the Dark Continent.

Zigma purred, as the darkness receded, and its effects went with it. Her glowing red eyes melting out of the darkness had unnerved Isamu, but it was what Alex had come to expect from Tao's counterpart. "Drrrragon Emperorrr. You have fed my people, for no price. You have sent your…Earthbenders…your Scales, to rebuild our ruined city. My home flourrrishes…by your will."

She lowered her head by Iara, and Nelinha hopped off, her expression unreadable, hidden behind a smirk similar to Alex's. "Tell the Dragon. We agree to his terms of a more lasting Alliance. Our lands shall once more be bound in friendship and trust, as it was in the ancient era." Her massive lips pulled up into a feline smirk. "You have…imprrrressed me."

"You've impressed all of us." Nelinha chimed in. "I hope we meet at the World Tournament. I want to know just where my team and I stand compared to you."

Alex tried not to nerd out, as he realized he was, much like Red and N and Leon before him, a bar by which powerful Trainers now measured their strength. And how far they had yet to go. "I'd look forward to that as well, Nelinha. It would be a Battle to remember, for sure." The intense blue eyes shifted back to the Queen, then. "Did you require me for something specific, Iara? A problem with a Replicator, maybe?"

She shook her head and her wavy blue locks shifted like waves as she did. "Not particularly, no. I simply wished to impress upon you what your gifts to my people mean to us. Whatever you need while you stay here, we are happy to provide."

"Well…there are a few things I could use aid with. First and foremost, I believe my new friend here would like to speak to Eo, if he's around. And the little one, too, probably." Alex gestured as he spoke, and Aevum appeared from where he'd been invisibly skulking, genuinely shocking not just Iara, but also Zigma, with what he saw as recognition. He was starting to wonder just how much Aevum had gotten around, in ye olden days. And who exactly he had been.

"It has been ages…it is good you have awakened, Aevum. The Successor has returned." The shadows parted around Zigma's form, and Alex's eyes narrowed. He'd been told Mew had helped Zigma recover from her encounter, but her body was still raggedly thin.

Aevum flew forward, concerned. "Alex mentioned that…once…vaguely…much has happened as we've traveled. Ahh, I see…this Shadow corruption…it yet lingers. Forgive me for this, Zigma." Aevum shone brightly then, and Alex's eyes widened, as he tapped into the realm of Light Energy. Since he was also a psychic, it did make some sense that, if he opened his own bodily energy network, he could also channel it, like Arthur did. Golden aura radiated off of him, and his feathers seemed changed in color as well, as he used a true Luster Purge.

Zigma was severely damaged by the attack, but the corruption lingering in her body like a festering disease was burned away in the Light of the Alpha. Aevum bestowed Life Dew on her then, and the Light faded, as the still rather young dragon became slumpy, his flight pattern wobbling. It was at that moment, that Eo arrived. He spoke only to Iara, and mentally, before carrying Aevum off to recover. Iara spoke then to Alex. "Aevum will rest here for a few days, if that is alright with you. He spent a lot of power, power his new form wasn't ready for…but that's just who he is. It's not the first time he's gone too far for a Guardian. It won't be the last, I'm sure. Do you know of his importance to the Latis?"

"I do not." Alex said, but then he held up his palm with the strange silvery mark. "He did give me this when he hatched, though. When I channel my power through it, my moves become exponentially stronger."

"In that case, I will let him divulge his species secrets when he is ready to do so. I would advise speaking to him about the Successor. Now…what else do you require? It seems we are even more indebted to you."

Alex shook his head. "Let's forgo the concept of debts. I would've ordered him to Purge and heal Zigma myself if he hadn't done so immediately. There need not be a cost between allies. I only hope you and yours aid the Empire if we're ever in dire straits in return. Now then, I need armor for my Ceruledge, and uh…the helmet has to be very specific, for mine, for uh…reasons. Also…" He called out Noir, who yawned, and had been napping. His eyes widened, as he took in the enormous throne room, and Zigma behind it. The thin Guardian was already looking healthier by the second, though it would take time to recover what the Shadow had eaten away. "I was told that my friend here can attain a…divergent evolution, in Selva Muerta. I wish to know how."

"A simple pair of requests, easily filled." Iara said with a smile. "We have many who are capable of forging Ghost Type Pokémon materials into useful items, usually weapons, but we do have several armor specialists throughout Rio as well."

Alex nodded. "I need the nerdiest armor specialist you have." He said, completely seriously, as he struggled not to smirk.

Iara chuckled though, seeing through him. "The…nerdiest? You'll want Ribeiro. Antonio Ribeiro. He's a perfectionist, and an artist, but his skills are legitimate, and have been honed by his family for…ages. He's the best smith in this part of Rio."

Alex nodded, satisfied with that information, and then said, "And my friend here?"

Noir had padded towards Zigma in awe, and she seemed quite amused by the foreign-born son of the jungle. Iara eyed him for a moment, and then sighed. "Muertan Meowscarada…are very rare. And extremely deadly. Masterful night hunters, their leaves help them blend in perfectly with the jungle. There is arguably no other Pokémon that blends in as well as they do. They eat Humans, too. However, because they're so strong, Sprigatito and Floragato are often targeted while they're young, so they don't end up evolving. As for how…" Iara closed her eyes, and then shrugged. "You'd have to ask Professor Cashapona. He would be the one most likely to know."

Alex nodded, and kept Noir out beside him, as Zigma seemed to be communicating something to him. "I'll be back for Aevum before I return home." He informed the queen. She nodded gracefully, wished him well, and then he and Isamu were off again. He could sense Isamu was glad he hadn't been noticed, but Alex didn't pry.

Once they were outside, he and Isamu walked and talked once the cheers grew quieter. "Stuff like that happens to you a lot, huh?" Isamu asked. "Just randomly being invited to talk by royalty and Legends?"

Alex pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Once I became Champion, the amazement faded pretty quickly. Being around Tao so much and see him rebuilding his ancient home blew my mind, but pretty quickly it just became work, as I recall." He purposefully left out what he and Jess had been doing while others had focused far more on the rebuilding effort.

Isamu stopped suddenly then, and Alex slowed to a stop as well, raising an eyebrow. "I hope…I hope you understand how big of a deal ending world hunger is."

"Well, it's not the whole world yet, and it's not just me-"

Isamu cut him off. "I know, I heard you telling people. It's the scientists, but you need to understand, every other world leader, both today and across our history, would've monetized these machines. You pushed them through the red tape and the greed before corporations even knew Replicators existed. And it is the whole world now. The Imperium accepted your Replicators yesterday." Alex and Noir stared quietly, as this was clearly something Isamu had wanted to say all day. "You just guaranteed free food for the entire Human race. For as long as those Rotom last. Which is basically forever. I don't think you fully understand just how big this is…only the Holder of Arceus did things like this…and he had the power of the Creation Trio to help him!"

Alex and Noir shared a look. Then, still quiet, Alex said, "You're comparing me to the man who befriended and tamed a God?"

Isamu chuckled. "No, well, not yet anyway. I might once I see you in actual combat. But other people have started drawing comparisons. It's been all over Chatter."

Alex frowned slightly at the mention of the waste of time and effort that was Chatter. It had only grown worse since Elmo Musk took over. "I don't really care for social media. It emboldens too many wastes of DNA."

Isamu raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought most famous Trainers talked to their fans on Chatter, or at least a Glaicebook group."

Alex made a face, and hid his guilt at successfully avoiding the main method fans had for interfacing with their favorite Trainers. "I usually let Lux handle all that. I used to let Nox do it, but…he kept mercilessly trolling people."

"You should interact more on there. Your fans would like it, I think." Isamu suggested.

Alex shrugged. "I might…if I ever get a minute. Right now, I have almost sixty Pokémon to train, so. Social media doesn't take priority."

They made their way out of the city, and activated their aura shields as they walked to the short but still inhabited route to the Cashapona lab. It reminded Alex of the Coumarine Gym, mostly because it had been grown in and around a large tree. The Professor looked almost the same as he had when Nelinha had ascended as Rio's newest Champion and Tamer. Almost immediately he started admiring Noir.

"Such a fine coat…" He gushed, poking it gently. Noir's eyes narrowed, and his fur turned as sharp as needles. "Ohho! And sharp." The Professor smirked at Alex. "Let me guess, he doesn't like his Special Attacks, and he prefers using his vine to grow thorns and whip enemies until they faint."

Alex and Noir quickly shared a glance, before looking back at the aged Professor. He had wrinkled bronze skin and a slowly decaying posture, but the gleam of intelligence was still very much alive in his green eyes. "He and I agreed that would be a bit…much…for a Battle. Unless the opponent he's facing is a Lairon or something, which can take that sort of punishment and still be fine."

The Professor raised a gray eyebrow. "And you trust him not to strangle his opponents to death? He doesn't lose himself to viciousness?"

Alex shook his head. "He initially had urges to, right after evolving and learning to use his new Moves like this, but I've trained him to be better than that. The fact that he's well fed also helped."

The Professor scribbled down some rapid notes on some paper on his cluttered desk, and then stood. "Well then Mr. Redwood, it seems you and young Noir are exactly the kind of pair that can achieve his alternate evolution, and master it enough to be used in Battle. Our last Champion had one as well, and he was quite ferocious." The old man's eyes gleamed. "I'm sure you'll use Noir to his full potential. To unlock it, you must journey to the abode of the Rain Sage. Within his area of influence is an ancient Grassy Rock, the kind Eevee evolves into Leafeon with, but this one is special. It radiates Dark Typed Energy as well…actually, being a psychic, you may want to send Noir in alone. It's powerful, and potentially damaging or corroding to those with a natural weakness to darkness. From what the last Champion told me, his Meowscarada did not rampage when it evolved, though he was very moody for a while, apparently some local Gatonip set him straight real quick."

Noir's tail swished eagerly at the mention of the plant, which was actually genetically related to Leaf, and had a unique effect on feline Pokémon. Alex nodded, promising to get him a steady supply of it, now that he realized just how much Noir seemed to enjoy it. Despite not being dark typed yet, he had a tendency to be aloof and a loner, a lot like Ictus. Alex had caught Noir and the large Drapion having many a conversation in the darkness of the spots in which they camped. Nox also sometimes appeared, but the Korian Gengar seemed to dislike being away from his Trainer's shadow for too long.

Alex thanked the Professor for the information, offered him decent seats in Unova's newest World Tournament stadium when he subtly asked for them, and then Isamu had a choice to make. The Professor gave out Torchic, Sprigatito, and Floatzel as potential starters. Despite them both being dark typed, Rio's Meowscarada were very capable of Playing Rough, and an Amazonian Floatzel was a force of nature unto itself. According to the Professor, not even the wild Meowscarada actively hunted the local Floatzel. Their groups had a bad tendency to hold grudges, and they were not above eating another species' eggs. It wasn't a common practice in the Pokémon world, and it was almost entirely something only dark types, like Mandibuzz, ever did, but even in a world with a surplus of berries, some Pokémon preferred the taste of eggs, as a leftover from the old Earth species Mew had copied and improved upon.

Alex's goal for Isamu was pretty simple: have him create a second team, and travel across Rio with them, while he trained. His first team was half Zygarde Cores, and while he would still feed and try to bond with them, Alex insisted he needed a team of his own that could battle and listen to him. Apparently the Klinklang, Hitmonlee, and Torkoal filling out his belt alongside Kuromuchi and Kanchi were all also shiny, inherited from ancient Trainers mysteriously connected to the first Pokémon Leagues, and didn't have a high opinion of Isamu. The one exception to this was his Riolu, who had apparently been so powerful as a Lucario in the ways of aura, that he'd been able to reincarnate as an egg when his body finally gave in to entropy. Even steel types died eventually, but the former Aura Guardian saw promise in Isamu that the others claimed he did not have. Kanchi had told Alex that he was positive they'd come around eventually, they always did, and Alex had a feeling that would be when Isamu proved he was worthy of battling alongside them after beating some gyms. They had established a psychic link, and Alex invited the ravenously curious youth to ask him whatever questions he wanted, any time but the four hours in which he slept. Judging by the eagerness in his eyes, Isamu would probably keep him busy with questions for quite some time, before he ran out of steam.

In the end, Isamu had chosen Torchic, as having a powerful fiery fighter in a land full of grass types was, to him, a no brainer. He was also a huge fan of Blaziken Mask, and he liked the idea of a Pokémon who could, someday, keep up with him when he used all five Zygarde Cores in sync. He dubbed the spiky tufted Torchic Dynamight, after Alex suggested giving him a name, and the eager little boychick had affirmed that he wanted one. With the Padawan on his way to grinding levels and bonding with Pokémon who, from what Alex had heard from them, were sick and tired of being passed down from human to human, he made his own way into Selva Muerta, atop Shruikan this time. Only one Noivern had the cojones to test Shruikan's obvious might, and a masterful booming Thunder sent it hurtling down towards the forest floor as it reflexively shrank. Thankfully, when they were that small and dense, very little could hurt a Pokémon. Even a hundred plus foot drop.

Alex found a relatively isolated spot with fewer Pokémon minds, and those who didn't outright attack them, he was able to ask to move elsewhere, at least for a few weeks. Once he explained what a week was to them, they agreed to stay away until his frost exuding Aurorus was no longer in the area. Those who attacked, were simply driven off when they realized just how outclassed they were, and that the unfamiliar cold temperatures weren't going to just go away. The entire area Alex cordoned off was about four point two zero miles, which while rather large, was a blip compared to the size of the rainforest. Very quickly Gelauros had tired in the tropical climate, and Alex had a clone on standby with Ethers and Elixirs from his bag to keep his power consistently going. Just the act of constantly forcing the temperature to change was very good training, and it made their encircled area a lot more bearable in terms of temperature. A weak psychic barrier followed the earthbended circle, to keep out irritating and disease carrying insects that had not become Pokémon. It also hid them from an aerial view, though the frozen vegetation was a bit of a giveaway that an ice type that did not belong was inhabiting this part of the rainforest.

Once their spot was set up, Alex eagerly released his fifty plus members. "Well boys…we're finally here. It feels like it took ages, but we made it. This is the final stretch." He paced before them as he spoke, but his Words reached them all. "From this point on, our goal is Victory. We will face the opponents in the qualifying matches, Semifinals, and Finals without prejudice or favor. The only bar I will measure with is strength, and your chances of winning. We'll be facing the strongest Trainers on the planet. Not all of you will see action in this tournament, but there will be others. And other Battles besides. I will do my best as your Trainer not to neglect a single one of you. Now then…the assignments."

He stopped in front of Terra, who was, of course, in the center of his team. Many of the newer members were chilling on his shell, but listening attentively. "Those of you who have reached your final evolutions, will begin working on truly mastering the Moves I've taught you with Unova's reusable TMs. It's one thing to know a Move well enough for Battle, it's another entirely to make it your own, and improve upon it. And that, is the name of the game boys. Not only will we overwhelm our opponents with our numbers, we will make full use of each and every single one of your Move pools. Once that is achieved, you will begin working on custom Moves. For the A Team, this is your primary focus, in between helping the newbies. Terra already showed you how it's done, with Curse and Frenzy Plant. I'm sure the rest of you can match him." His main ten nodded, confidently grunting in unison.

The rest of you will, for now, focus on traversing the jungle with your clone of me, and gaining Battle experience. You need to protect the clone at all costs. If something makes it break, you could end up alone out here with your ball lost. I could probably find each of you with our mental link, but that will take time, and if something that can break one of my copies is attacking you, time will not be something you have. If it does break, try to stick to the area, and defend your Pokéball. Shruikan and I will move quickly to recover you, and it, and make sure it doesn't happen again. Some of you may end up in groups, since defending me may not be your forte."

"Revan, Noir, and all the newbs from BBA will be with me, as I evolve them, and train them up against Rio's Trainers. For some reason, you guys are registering at a more than high enough level to evolve already…so once we sort out your Moves, that will be our goal. Arthur, since you're as ready as you're going to be, I want you overseeing their training. If a new custom Move idea hits you, you and I can go over it when the others are resting." The Gallade nodded resolutely, and smirked. Alex could tell he was excited. The best way to get new ideas for custom moves was to see how other species used moves, and adapt them. Since he was a master of type energy manipulation by this point, Arthur was eager to learn. In his head, he saw a kind of rainbow punch outline involving using every type, all together, all at once. With his Stellar Tera Typing, that would probably be devastatingly powerful while Terastallized.

Alex clapped his absurdly large hands together, and the sharp sound made his partner's ears twitch as it echoed loudly through the area. "That's all for now, lads. Get to it and try not to damage the landscape too much." He split himself into a multitude of clones then and began pairing off with his team. Some of them wanted to battle one of their brothers immediately, while others were eager to test the ferocity of the world's most dangerous jungle at night. Alex had studied the general levels of the Pokémon here, what little records Rio had on them, and there were quite a few routes that stretched from Rio and well into the forest, despite them being mostly overgrown and filled with mortal peril that would do nicely for training. He'd also dipped into his rarely used bank account to give everyone who needed one a Lucky Egg. Thanks to the Replicators also being capable of item creation, making them was ease itself, apparently. Normal and fairy energy condensed into an egg shape that would greatly enhance the amount of Exp gained from their battles in the jungle.

Getting nearly half a hundred of them had left a dent in his supply of currency, but making more was as simple as calling his merchandise liaison, or sending a clone to PokéStar Studios. They paid ridiculous amounts of currency for famous cameos, and he'd already done a few, as well as made a series of poses that the Victory League's unofficial merchandise master had slapped onto shirts, shoes, backpacks, hats, anything that could be cheaply made and sold at a reasonable rate.

Finally, Alex prime split off a final clone, the one who would take Noir and Revan to evolve and train up the newbies once he did so. He levitated, sitting cross legged in the air, as he and Terra and the others weak to ice sat near Gelauros, and shivered. Even as the sun faded, the humidity stayed in the air for Gelauros to fight. After sitting around and shivering got boring, Alex set up his dex to project some anime, and together, they struggled to endure teh cold as they watched the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War.

The Redwood Saga (Pokémon Fanfiction, Crossover)

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